Un Malheur Relatif
by Davis Family Fan
Summary: In one night, Alexis' life is turned upside down as her 6yo daughter is returned to her. This revelation sets into motion the crumbling of the Cassadine house of cards. COMPLETE revision on Cassadine history. SAMLEX/STEFAN/NIKOLAS/HELENA/MIKKOS/STAVROS.
1. Clocks and Time

OF COURSE, while working on this memo for my externship, a story idea came to mind which sort of makes-up for (but not replaces) the shelved ONCP. Here it is.

**Translation of title**: A Relative Misfortune

Totally UNEDITED. I have to finish this memo… If you like it, I'll perhaps find the time to edit it later.

**Chapter One**

**Clocks and Time**

Alexis Davis, twenty-two years old and in her final year of law school, the top of her class, the editor of the Law Review, and president of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, was on the fast track to success. In fact, she had already procured a job at a top-notch law firm in New York City. Despite the cards dealt to this orphaned girl, raised in a household lacking in all semblance of love, but for her beloved Stefan, she was beating the odds.

As she sat in her apartment one night, distracted over the thoughts whirling through her mind, and staring at the telephone trying to convince herself to not make the phone call she so desperately wanted to make, her doorbell rang. She looked at her clock; it was one o' clock in the morning. She had not been expecting anyone, and even if she had been, they certainly would not have been visiting her at such a late hour.

She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself before looking into the peephole. There standing on the other side of the door was a straggly looking woman, who clearly had been drinking, holding the hand of a very young child, who could have easily passed for three, but not much older than four years old. Alexis' heart began to race; while the small child appeared so young, she had a feeling that the beautifully filthy child was exactly six years old.

--- "May I help you?" She called through the door as she continued to study the child.

The woman looked at the little girl and back at the door.

--- "My name is Evelyn McCall—"

The rest of whatever the woman was saying was completely lost to the young woman; her head exploded with the conversation she had had with Stefan just an hour prior.

**_Flashback_**__

She held a letter in her hands that contained no postmark and no return address; it was simply addressed to Ms. Alexandra Davidovitch. She had found it slipped under her door as she was rushing out to class that morning.

Although she was a bit taken aback by the use of the name she had once used, in what seemed like a former life, she was too overwhelmed with the deadline she needed to meet in regard to her law review article, to take the time to review the contents of the letter. It was not until she returned home later on that night, completed her reading assignments, showered, chosen her suit for her internship the next morning, and written her opening statement for the commencement of the upcoming moot court competition, that she remembered the letter she had placed on her dining room table. She sat down on her couch with a bowl of popcorn in hand, and began reading.

**"Miss Davidovitch,**

You don't know me, but I'm the woman who has been raising your child—"

She nearly choked on her popcorn as she read the opening line; the woman clearly wasted no time as she cut to the chase in revealing whom she was. With her heart racing in her chest, Alexis continued to read.

**"Look, I can't do this anymore. I already have a kid with enough problems; I'm not cut out to raise some other broad's burden."**

She put the bowl on the table as she fumed at the words on the page. As Alexis had had no choice in the matter, she did not want to give her daughter up to any random family who might hurt her; she loved that child with every fiber of her being, and had begged and pleaded with Mikkos to ensure her well-being. He had promised her that he had found an infertile couple to take care of her baby; he promised her that she would be loved the way she would have been had he allowed her to raise the child.

Despite her desire to pick up the phone and call the wretched bastard man, right then and there, she regained enough composure to continue reading the letter.

**"I know that this is really harsh on my part, but I'm sorry. We're about to be evicted from our home, and she has nowhere to go. I mean, my sister has agreed to take us in, but she only has space for three of us. So, seeing as you must be old enough to take care of her (her name is Samantha, by the way), I figured that you might want to have her back.**

I'll be in touch.

Evelyn McCall."

Alexis felt as though she were about to have an anxiety attack. She took several deep breaths to calm herself as she managed to walk to her bedroom and recover her inhaler. She took several pumps before finally being able to once again breathe regularly. Despite catching her breath, her heart remained broken at the realization that people who were not only financially unstable, but who also clearly had no love in their heart for the child had been raising her daughter. She was even more disgusted with Mikkos for having arranged such an adoption.

Instead of calling him, however, she decided to call the only person she could trust; she needed to speak to Stefan. She looked at the clock; it was six in the morning in Greece. It was rather early to be calling him, but etiquette could certainly wait considering her daughter's current predicament.

********

Stefan rolled over in the bed at the sound of his ringing phone. He looked at the clock; it was six in the morning. He begrudgingly sat up and answered.

--- "Hello."

Alexis smiled at the sound of her beloved cousin's voice. Were it not him, she would not have survived her life in the Cassadine household. On nights when Mikkos, who in his cold fashion also ensured her physical well-being, was out of town, Stefan took it upon himself to make certain that she had something to eat before going to bed. In addition, he was the one who purchased clothes for her when she outgrew the ones she had worn day in and day out. If it had been up to his mother, Alexis would unquestionably have either starved to death, or simply been an ignorant pauper cast out of the Cassadine fold upon her eighteenth birthday. In fact, Helena intended to do just that, three years ahead of schedule, when it was discovered that Alexis was pregnant.

In the end, it was Stefan who had managed to convince Mikkos to allow Alexis to continue with her education, and take the pregnancy to term. He had tried as well, through her persuasion, to convince his father to allow her to raise the child. This plea, however, fell onto deaf ears; while Mikkos, to Helena's chagrin, agreed to allow Alexis take the pregnancy to term and to continue with her education, he conditioned this allowance on the child being given up for adoption.

Although Alexis had wanted her child more than anything in the world, she knew that there was no way, at sixteen, and despite Stefan's generosity and kindness, she would be able to raise her. Had she attempted to defy her cousin and keep the baby, she would not have put it passed Mikkos or Helena, to freeze Stefan's accounts to inhibit his ability to support her; they knew that he was her benefactor. Without an education, experience in the workforce, or money, Alexis knew that raising a baby would be impossible, and quite frankly selfish. She realized that the only choice she had in the matter was to agree to Mikkos' term and give the baby up for adoption.

Despite having to give her up, Alexis owed a debt of gratitude to Stefan for helping her the way he had, for her daughter was alive and perhaps soon to be in her arms.

--- "Hello Cousin."

Stefan was shocked to hear Alexis' voice on the other line.

--- "Alexis, are you aware that it is rude to call upon someone before nine o'clock?"

She smiled at the sound of his voice.

--- "Stefan, are YOU aware that it is rude to tell someone that their actions are rude?"

She heard him chuckle on the other end of the line; he could never stay upset with her for too long.

--- "Why are you calling me this early? Is everything alright?"

Alexis took a deep breath and explained the letter, the way in which she came into possession of it, and of its contents.

--- "I am so angry, Stefan; more angry than you could ever know. Mikkos promised me that my baby was going to be well taken care of. He told me that he had arranged for her to be raised with a good couple, one who could not have kids of their own, and who wanted children. Yet, here we are, six years later, and I get this letter that my daughter has been living in squalor and with someone who clearly doesn't love her enough to—"

She could not continue as she felt the tears rising up in her throat; she could not believe that Mikkos had betrayed her the way that he had.

Stefan could hear the pain in her voice. He had no words that would make her feel better about the situation.

--- "Lex, I'm coming."

The tears flowed freely from her face; that's all she needed to hear from him.

--- "Thank you."

He nodded his head on the line as though he could see her. As he was about to hang up the phone he quickly put it back to his ear.

--- "Alexis?"

She sniffled.

--- "Yes, Stefan?"

He cleared his throat before speaking.

--- "Under no circumstances are you to call Father—"

--- "Stefan—"

He cut her off before she could continue speaking.

--- "You will not call him, Alexis. Not until we figure out what is to be done about this situation."

She frowned over the line; there was nothing else to be done but to take her daughter from those people.

--- "What is to be done? I think there's only one thing that can be done, Stefan? I'm not given much of a choice. And I have to tell you, I'm fine with that—"

--- "What about your education?"

She did not know what to think about this conversation; she was not sure if Stefan was actually trying to convince her that she should not take her daughter back because of the effects it might have on her education and her career goals or if he was concerned about the consequences having her child in her life would have on his and the money in his accounts.

--- "If you're concerned that Mikkos and Helena will freeze your accounts, Stefan, don't worry; I will tell them that you will not help me in anyway. In fact, I will assure them that if you offer or attempt to provide in any way for me or my daughter, that I will turn you down and return anything that you've given me. I don't want—"

He cut her off.

--- "Alexis, how are you rejecting me before you even know what's going on? I would never try to keep your daughter from you, and quite frankly after everything that we've been through I'm offended that you would accuse me of doing something like that. I was merely trying to tell you to wait until we knew for certain what was going on before we, TOGETHER, confronted Father about his lies. He went against his word to not only you, but to me as well; I think we are both due an explanation."

Stefan was livid over his father's betrayal. Because he viewed Alexis as a sister, the child was, for all intents and purposes, his niece. He provided Alexis with the money to procure the appropriate nutrition and unbeknownst to his parents, flew on his own dime to Maine each month, to take her to her doctor's appointments while she was pregnant. He loved the child, and the news that she was perhaps neglected was as infuriating as though his own child were in the same predicament

--- "I am going to book a flight as soon as I get off of the phone with you. I do not want to take the family jet because I don't want them to know that I am on my way to see you. I will call you back with the details as I have them."

Alexis let out a breath. She did not know what she had done to deserve to have him in her life.

--- "I'm sorry, Stefan—"

--- "It's alright, Alexis. Goodbye."

He hung up before she had a chance to respond to him.

Now it was the waiting game.

**End of Flashback.**

And so the waiting was over. Just a mere hour after hanging up the phone with her cousin, there they were on the other side of the door. Alexis took a deep breath and opened it.

--- "Please come in."

Her voice came out softer than she had intended it, but she was nervous. Evelyn walked into the nicely decorated apartment and was immediately disgusted.

--- "I see you've done well for yourself while I was raising your kid."

Alexis turned around from locking the door to stare at the woman.

--- "Excuse me?"

Evelyn could not hide her anger toward the girl; there she was struggling with two kids and a good-for-nothing husband, while this rich kid was more than capable of raising her own brat.

--- "You opened your legs, shot a kid out, and tossed her away, but all the while you were more than capable of taking care of her. Looking at this place, I can tell that you're just a little rich kid who didn't want to be buckled down to her mistake."

While the woman was talking, Alexis could not help but look at the young girl who stood quietly behind the only mother that she had ever known. However, upon hearing the word mistake in reference to her daughter, leave the lips of the woman who had allowed a defenseless child to be so malnourished and underweight, Alexis found her voice; it was angry and fierce.

--- "Excuse me, but with all do respect, which from the looks of it, isn't much, but you don't know anything about me or about my life to judge me for giving my daughter up for adoption. If you knew anything at all, you would know that I didn't have a choice in the matter. Despite wanting nothing more to raise her and to make sure that she was well taken care of, which is more than I can say about you, my cousin, who took me in when I was orphaned as a toddler, by the way, threatened to completely cut me and my other cousin off—"

Evelyn rolled her eyes as she passed her hand along the mahogany dinner table.

--- "Who is he, this kid's father?"

Alexis shook her head in absolute repulsion that the woman would think that she would have had a child by her cousin.

--- "You know what, I'm not even going to justify your statement with a response. Now, having never wanted to give my daughter up, I will be more than happy to take her off of your hands since she is, according to your letter such a burden to you."

Evelyn pushed Samantha toward the young woman.

--- "You know, I really could have just dropped her off at some church or something, and you would have been none the wiser. I didn't have to come all this way to bring her to you."

Alexis picked up and wrapped her arms around the little girl who at first seemed quite shocked at the gesture, nevertheless laid her head onto the kind stranger's shoulder. She was weightless in Alexis' arms; Alexis wondered when she had last had a meal.

--- "Aren't you kind? Now, if you'll excuse me, but this child looks as though she hasn't had a bath in quite some time, and is probably hungry and tired. So, please leave me your contact information, and I'll be sure to have a lawyer contact you—"

Evelyn smirked before going to the door.

--- "Eh, a lawyer; I'm sure your family has one already on retainer. Don't worry, princess, you'll be hearing from me soon enough about little Samantha."

She opened the door and stepped out of the apartment without a second thought about the little girl she had raised for so many years. Even more stunning, however, was the fact that the child seemed unconcerned with Evelyn's departure or the fact that she had left her in the care of a complete stranger.

Alexis held tightly onto the child. She did not care that she was filthy and smelled quite unclean; those were problems that could be easily resolved. The bigger problems concerning her daughter's emotional well-being, her supposed family's reaction to having her daughter in her life, and of course, the legalities of her current custody, weighed heavily on Alexis' mind. She was not letting her baby go, not a second time.

She put the child down so that she could more easily speak to her.

--- "Hi honey, um, did your mo—, um, did Evelyn tell you who I was?"

The child nodded her head.

--- "She said that I was going to live with my mommy. Is that you?"

Alexis wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks at the sound of the child's voice.

--- "Yes, yes that's me. Um, you can call me Alexis, Lexi… Mommy… whatever makes you comfortable."

Sam smiled slightly, but quickly stopped smiling when she noticed the look on her mother's face; the child's teeth were deplorable. Alexis was grateful that they would soon fall out, and with her guidance, her daughter's hygiene would be as it should be.

Alexis stood up and held her hand out to her daughter and led her to the bathroom.

--- "Do you mind if I give you a bath, Samantha?"

The little girl shook her head; it had been days since she had had one.

--- "Do you have—"

She stopped herself from being so presumptuous as to ask for something from someone she hardly knew. Alexis noticed the her trepidation.

--- "What is it, honey?"

--- "Nothing."

She bent down and smiled at the girl, hoping to put her nerves at ease.

--- "Sam, do you mind if I call you Sam?"

The child smiled and shook her head. Alexis squeezed her daughter's cheek.

--- "You have a beautiful smile, Sam."

She blushed.

--- "Thank you."

--- "Now, what is it that you wanted to ask me? Honey, you should never be afraid to ask me for anything, okay?"

Sam nodded before looking down at her hands and quietly speaking to the woman.

--- "I wanted to know if you had any bubbles."

Alexis bit her lip and shook her head.

--- "Unfortunately, I don't—"

She noticed the girl's face drop in disappointment. Alexis lifted her daughter's little chin, so that she was looking at her.

--- "But I tell you what, Sam, tomorrow morning when the stores open, we'll go and pick some up, okay?"

Sam, who had never had a bubble bath, but had seen them on television commercials, was ecstatic. She wrapped her arms around Alexis' neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

--- "Thank you."

It broke Alexis' heart how something so small could mean so much to her child. It was ironic really, not too long ago, she herself was in the same position as her daughter.

She took her daughter's face into her hand and kissed her dirty little forehead.

--- "Baby, as much as I can help it, you will never want for anything."

She walked Sam into the bathroom and filled up the tub. She then began to undress the child, and aside from the emaciation she had expected to find, Alexis did not anticipate that her child would have bruises and scars all over her tiny body. As she looked her daughter over, her heart was breaking all over again, and rage filled within her; she had to ensure that she kept it at bay, so as not to frighten the girl. She took a deep breath and lifted the girl into the tub.

Sam who had tensed up once Alexis had undressed her, relaxed once she sat in the warm water. She smiled up at the woman.

--- "It's warm."

Alexis grew nervous.

--- "Is it burning you? I'm sorry, I can add more—"

Sam laughed softly.

--- "No. It's okay."

Alexis let out a sigh of relief. She decided that she would allow the girl to play in the water for a little bit as she threw her ragged clothes into the wash.

--- "Sam, I will be right back; I just want to put your clothes in the washing machine. Tomorrow I'm going to buy you some new clothes and underwear, but for now, we need to get these washed."

Although she was only six, Sam's face burned with shame at being so dirty, especially considering how clean her new mother was. She felt tears welling in her eyes, but she wet her face so Alexis would not be able to tell that she was crying.

--- "Okay."

Alexis quickly went into the linen closet and threw the clothes into the washing machine. She then found a large t-shirt to put on the child for the night. She went back into the bathroom and got to work on scrubbing the child of the filth that had accumulated on her body.

It astounded her how her clean white tub quickly turned black from the dirt on the small child. She washed her from head to toe, and decided that she would undoubtedly wash her again in the morning to ensure that every last remnant of the McCalls' filth was off of her daughter.

When she finished, she wrapped a towel around the girl, and lifted her from the filthy tub. She dried the girl off, passed lotion on her tiny body, combed her hair and pulled it up into a ponytail.

--- "Look how pretty you look."

She sat Sam on the bathroom counter so that she could look at herself.

--- "I smell good; just like you."

Alexis nodded and kissed her daughter on the top of her head.

--- "Yes you do. Now we're going to brush your teeth. I believe I have an extra toothbrush here."

She took a toothbrush out of its packaging and placed toothpaste onto it.

--- "Okay, honey, open up."

Sam complied with her mother's request. Because the toothbrush was too big for her tiny mouth, Alexis took her time and gently brushed the little girl's teeth. When she was done, she was amazed to realize that the child's teeth were not as bad off as she had originally thought; just as she was left filthy, her teeth had been left unbrushed for days.

Alexis was quite pleased with her handiwork; her daughter was truly beautiful. She smiled at her.

--- "Ah, you're as cute as a button, Sam."

The small child blushed once more.

--- "Thank you."

Alexis was shocked that despite the shameful way in which her daughter had clearly been treated, she was so well-mannered.

--- "You're very welcome, honey. Now, are you hungry?"

She nodded her head.

--- "Okay, so let's see go fix you a bowl of cereal, and then we're going to have to brush your teeth again before you go to bed; it is—"

She looked at the clock; it was now two o'clock in the morning.

--- "Well, it's two in the morning. So after you eat, you're going have to go to bed."

--- "Where am I going to sleep?"

Alexis smiled at her daughter.

--- "Um, you can sleep with me for now; I have a big enough bed. Eventually, we'll see about getting you your own bed."

Sam smiled widely at the thought of sleeping in a big bed; she had grown accustomed to sleeping on the floor in the living room. Alexis squeezed her daughter's dimpled cheek.

--- "Look at that! You have dimples just like me."

Sam laughed aloud for the first time since meeting Alexis; it warmed her mother's heart to hear that sweet laughter she had been deprived of for six long years. She picked Sam up and carried her to the kitchen.

--- "Sam, honey, I'm going to warn you now that Mommy [ahem], that I, aside from popcorn and things meant for the microwave, can't cook. So, you and I will be eating out a lot. I hope you don't mind."

The child shrugged her shoulders.

--- "Okay."

Alexis smiled at her daughter and placed a bowl in front of her.

--- "I hope you like Frosted Flakes."

--- "I never had them before."

Alexis poured the cereal into the bowl.

--- "Well, Sammy, right now, they're my favorite."

Sam took a bite of the cereal and smiled.

--- "Mine too."

As the little girl ate her bowl of cereal, Alexis quickly put the washed clothes into the dryer; she anticipated that clothes so small should take but twenty minutes to wash. She then quickly scrubbed the tub and sink clean. She was truly disgusted at how someone could allow a child to get so filthy.

She walked back into the kitchen to find Sam kneeling on the stool over the sink washing her bowl and spoon.

--- "Aw, you didn't have to do that, sweetheart."

Sam looked at the woman.

--- "But I finished eating. If I want to eat tomorrow, I have to clean after myself."

While Alexis understood instilling manners into a child, to make her feel as though the only way in which she would be able to eat was to play Cinderella, was unacceptable. She questioned where Mikkos had found these people; they were not fit to raise a gnat, let alone a child.

She walked up to her and took the bowl and spoon from her tiny hands.

--- "Sam, a chore is not a barter for food."

Sam frowned at the woman. Alexis tried to think of a better word.

--- "Honey, you don't have to clean to eat. Regardless of if you leave your dishes in the sink, I will not leave you hungry. Do you understand me?"

The little girl skeptically nodded.

--- "But—"

Alexis shook her head.

--- "Nope. No, buts. Sure, chores are meant to make you responsible and help you learn how to clean after yourself, but it's never a reason to not give you the things that are important. You have to eat, shower, and have someplace clean to sleep. Those things will never be taken away from you. Now, let's brush your teeth again, and then off to bed."

* * *

After Sam's teeth were rebrushed, Alexis took her to her bedroom. It was then she noticed her suit hanging in the closet, and realized how much drastically her life had changed in the past couple of hours. She had a lot of reevaluating to do, but she decided that it was not going to be done that night; she would figure some things out the next morning. For now, she was going to enjoy her first night with her daughter finally back where she belonged.

She pulled the sheets down and tucked Sam in.

--- "I'm glad you're here. We have a lot to talk about, but it can wait until tomorrow."

Sam leaned forward and gave the woman a hug. She had not felt that clean and safe in all her short life.

--- "Thank you."

Alexis nodded and kissed her on the forehead.

--- "You're very welcome. I'll be right back."

She then stepped into her closet to grab a new pair of pajamas, as carrying her filthy daughter and cleaning out the bathroom soiled the other pair. She decided to take a quick shower before going into bed.

--- "Sam, I'm going to—"

She heard soft snoring, and noticed that the child was fast asleep. She walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before stepping into her bathroom.

After she quickly showered and changed, she got into bed. Almost immediately, the sleeping child rolled over and laid her head on the young woman's chest. Alexis kissed her on top of her head.

--- "Good Night, my little chipmunk."

That was the nickname she had come up with for her daughter when they laid her in her hands for the very first, and what appeared to be the very last, time all of those years ago.

Sam breathed in deeply, subconsciously realizing that she and her mother shared the same scent; she smiled in her sleep.

--- "Good Night, Mommy."

In that moment, upon hearing those sweet words from her baby, Alexis determined that regardless of any burden that may follow, there was no way in hell she would allow anyone to take her daughter away from her again. This was a burden that she gladly welcomed.


	2. In The Moment

Wow, I'm so happy that so many of you like the story! Thank you so much for your reviews! Keep them coming!

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEMON!!!! **

**Chapter Two**

**In the Moment**

When Alexis woke the next morning, she had almost begun to wonder whether or not it was all a dream. But when she saw her beautiful daughter asleep with her little head resting on her chest, her heart filled with joy as the realization hit her: this was her new reality.

She passed her fingers through Sam's natural ringlets before leaning forward to give the sleeping child a kiss on the top of the head.

--- "Good morning my beautiful girl."

She carefully moved the child's head onto the bed. She then attempted to get up, but her heart instantly broke as she realized that Sam's little hand grasped firmly onto her shirt; it was evident that the girl was afraid that she might be left in the middle of the night.

Alexis passed her finger along her daughter's knuckles.

--- "Oh sweetheart, Mommy's not going anywhere. She's not leaving you."

She carefully opened her daughter's hand and gave it a gentle kiss. She walked into the bathroom and began to brush her teeth as she thought about how she would get through her busy day now that her welcomed, but unexpected, arrival was asleep in her bed. While she was happier than she had ever been in her life, she could not exactly say that she was not stressed or worried.

She finished brushing her teeth, undressed and got into the shower. Her thoughts were heavy of how she was approach this delicate subject with her 'parents.' She was not sure of the consequences of Sam's presence in her life. As she stood there, allowing the water to run through her hair, she realized that she simply did not care what they had to say; it was not as though either of them had ever shown any real interest in her daughter anyway.

She thought about Mikkos and what he might say about the situation; she had a feeling that he would not take too kindly to her daughter being in her life. She never understood why he seemed to care so much about her; it was not as though he ever really spoke to her. Aside from the courteous (Cassadines were, after all, known for their impeccable manners) morning, afternoon, and evening greetings, the man hardly ever looked in her direction. And yet, there he was, when she was fifteen and pregnant, then sixteen and giving birth, dictating to her his expectations for her life, and his wish, or demand, that she continue on in her education without allowing this mistake to ruin her plans.

Then there was Helena. The woman never hid the fact that she not only hated her own son, she absolutely loathed the freeloading orphaned burden of a waif, he husband had the audacity to bring into her home. She made no effort to provide the tiniest bit of comfort to the girl. If there was a bed that was as hard as, if not harder than, rocks, Helena ensured that Alexis slept on it. She had no desire in dressing the young girl as a mother would dote on her daughter; instead, she found the itchiest and most uncomfortable wool dresses, and failed to replace it until the poor child had no more room to grow in it. If ever there were a child she hated more than her own son, it was that little mouse who took away from the money that could have been spent on her beloved Stavros.

However, it seemed possible that when Alexis was pregnant, Helena's hatred for both her and Stefan was outweighed by her disgust for the child growing in the orphan's belly. There were times when Alexis felt as though the distance of both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean was not enough to shield her or her defenseless baby from Helena's revulsion.

_**Flashback**_

_Mikkos had come into town, for what he claimed to be a business trip, and stopped by the boarding school to visit Alexis. He wanted to speak with her teachers and the headmistress to ensure that she was keeping up with her schoolwork and getting the proper nutrition for her and her baby; it seemed that while the girl was away from Cassadine island and the menu approved by him, she had grown fond of things such as popcorn, pop tarts, and cereal. He was not pleased with her new eating habits._

_When he was informed that she was following the appropriate regime, he decided to stop by her room and pay her a visit. _

_--- "Hello Alexandra."_

_Alexis was shocked to see the man standing in her doorway. She immediately stood and quietly greeted him from her place._

_--- "Good Afternoon Cousin."_

_He awkwardly walked around the room and noticed that aside from her normal schoolbooks, she was reviewing several books concerning what to expect during her pregnancy. It always amused him how meticulous the shy and quiet girl was. As he looked around the room it perplexed him how it was she managed to become pregnant in the first place; nothing seemed to interest her expect books… and Stefan._

_--- "Have you been taking care of yourself?"_

_She watched him walk around, wondering what it was that he wanted; he never visited and hardly called. The only thing she ever received were short notes wishing her well accompanied with the monthly allowance he sent for her._

_--- "Yes, Cousin."_

_He nodded his head before walking over to her desk. He placed his briefcase onto her desk and opened it._

_--- "Helena has asked that I give this to you."_

_Alexis reluctantly took the box from him; if she had learned anything in the years she lived in the Cassadine household with that evil woman, it was to not trust anything given her from Helena._

_--- "What is it?"_

_He frowned at her._

_--- "I don't know Alexandra. Perhaps you should open it and find out."_

_She lowered her eyes from him and slowly opened the gift. Inside was a small stuffed maggot, with a note attached to it._

"_**Here is a token for your fellow bottom feeder."**_

_Alexis shook her head and closed the box. She looked at Mikkos._

_--- "Please send her my regards."_

_Mikkos simply nodded his head, uninterested as to the gift his wife had purchased for her and walked to the door. As he grabbed the doorknob, he stopped and reached into his coat pocket and handed her an envelope._

_--- "Here is your monthly allowance. Please do not spend it on that American garbage you've grown accustomed to eating."_

_Alexis shyly took the envelope from him._

_--- "Thank you, Cousin."_

_**End of Flashback.**_

And that was the extent of their conversation. In fact, the longest conversation they had ever had with one another involved the decision of whether or not she would be allowed to continue with the pregnancy. Even in that instance, it was not as though Alexis was given an opportunity to speak; Mikkos simply told her what was to be done, and that was it.

This time, however, things would be different; Alexis would have been damned if he thought for one moment he would dictate her life. She was no longer the little mouse she once was; and her daughter, was certainly no bottom feeder.

* * *

In appearance, Sam slept soundly in her new mother's big and comfortable bed. She awoke several times in the night terrified that she was back in the McCall house, asleep on the floor amongst the roaches and rats that cohabited the home and feasted on her tiny body. Each time she awoke; she scooted closer to the woman until she could move no further. She laid her head onto her new mother's chest and for safe measure, she held onto her shirt; Alexis' arms automatically wrapped around her. As she lay there listening to the sound of her mother's heartbeat, she quickly fell asleep; she did not awake for the rest of the night.

As she slept in that warm bed, she dreamt that Evelyn had come back to take her home. She dreamt that the woman was once again drinking, as she had been before dropping her off at Alexis', and had of course, taken her drunken rage out on her. Sam dreamt that Evelyn was chasing her with a brush, comb, or anything she could find with which to hit her little arms, legs, or bottom. The poor child trembled in her sleep and grasped her new mother's shirt even tighter.

_**Flashback**_

_Sam had just finished pouring two bowls of cereal for Danny and her breakfast, when the boy, in a fit of rage over not having the toy from the bottom of the box, threw the bowl onto the roach-filled floor. _

_--- "DANNY! Why did you do that?" Sam jumped from the chair and began attempting to clean up the mess._

_Evelyn, hungover from the previous night's binge, stormed into the kitchen upon hearing the shattering of the bowl. Without any question as to who was at fault, she picked up the tiny girl attempting to clean up the mess, and carried her to her bedroom. _

_She opened a drawer and took a brush out; Sam immediately became frightened knowing what was to come._

_--- "Do you know how much that bowl of cereal cost me, Samantha?"_

_At only five, the child had no sense of prices; in her little world, a quarter was a big deal. Actually, considering the state of squalor in which the family lived, a quarter was welcomed change. _

_--- "No."_

_Evelyn pulled Sam to her and held the brush in the air._

_--- "Well, little girl, this will teach you to not waste the food that me and Cody work hard to put on that damn table. When I'm done with you, you won't be able to sit for days."_

_And so, the woman beat the skin and boned child until she had no more tears to cry. Afterwards, she dragged her back into the kitchen, handed the unbroken bowl to her mentally challenged son, and forced Sam to eat every bit of the spilt cereal from the filthy floor._

_--- "Enjoy it, Samantha, that's all you'll be getting for the rest of the day."_

_For that reason, Sam ensured to take her time, despite the crawling roaches, to eat the cereal. At such a young age, she had begun to learn survival skills that would enable her to get through any obstacle thrown her way._

_**End of Flashback.**_

Sam, even at six, was aware of the good fortune that had just landed in her lap by having been virtually abandoned by Evelyn. While Cody had always been kind to her, he was frequently absent from the household, and therefore quite unreliable. Seeing Alexis, she felt she could be happy with her. Therefore, Sam slept comfortably in the arms of a friendly stranger she was told was her mother.

Unfortunately, she woke up to an empty bed and was shocked to find that she had wet herself. Sam immediately sat up and looked around. She did not know what to do as she had undoubtedly ruined her new mother's sheets. She wanted to cry, but she figured that it would be easier for her to simply admit to what she had done and take her punishment; perhaps in that way, it would not be as rough.

She crawled to each corner of the bed and removed the fitted sheet. She then hopped off the bed and dumped the soiled sheet in the corner. She bit her lip wondering what to do next. Normally she would have washed the sheets herself, but seeing as this was a new place, she did not know whether or not she was allowed to rummage through her new mother's things in order to find the detergent. She decided instead to find her.

She heard the shower running, so she knocked softly on the door before entering the bathroom. Being six, she simply had no sense of privacy.

--- "Mommy?"

Alexis was shocked, and slightly embarrassed, to see her daughter standing there; she opened the glass door and grabbed her towel. She smiled at the tiny child who, in many ways, resembled her.

--- "Good morning, Sam."

She wrapped the towel around herself and knelt down in front of the apprehensive girl; she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

--- "Did you sleep well?"

Sam nodded her head.

--- "Yes, thank you."

Despite having known her daughter for less than twenty-four hours, Alexis could tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind.

--- "What's the matter, chipmunk?"

As hard as she attempted to not cry, Sam was six after all, and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

--- "I wet the bed. I'm sorry."

She almost flinched expecting a blow to come from her new mother when Alexis reached to wipe her fallen tears. The young woman's heart broke at the sight.

--- "It's alright sweetheart. We'll just put the sheets in the wash and change the linen. Don't worry; accidents happen."

Sam's tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she hiccupped.

--- "It's okay if you don't want to give me breakfast—"

Alexis felt her own tears well into her eyes as she looked at her daughter. She tightened her towel around herself and opened her arms to Sam.

--- "Come here, chipmunk."

Sam immediately went into her mother's arms. Alexis wrapped her arms around her and gave her a kiss on each cheek and forehead. She held her face and stared her daughter in the eyes.

--- "Samantha, I want you to listen to me very clearly, okay?"

She nodded her head as she attempted to gain her composure.

--- "Yes, Mommy."

Alexis loved to hear the little girl call her 'Mommy.'

--- "Remember what I told you last night? You don't have to work to eat in this house. Remember I told you that?"

--- "Yes, Mommy. But I wasn't working. I had an accident."

Alexis used her thumbs to wipe the tears from Sam's face.

--- "The same rules apply, honey. Sam, you will never be denied food in this house. NEVER. No matter what you do, and no matter how mad I get, you will always have clean clothes, water, and food. Do you understand me?"

Sam nodded once again, although she was slightly skeptical.

--- "Okay."

She gave her daughter another kiss on the cheek.

--- "Now, can you let Mommy finish showering? I'll give you a bath right after, okay? I don't want you to stay in your wet clothes."

--- "But I don't have anything else to wear."

Luckily, Alexis had not put the rags back onto her daughter, but had instead given her the oversized t-shirt, and put the underwear back on her after it was washed and dried.

--- "Well, we can put your clothes on from yester—"

The doorbell rang. Alexis' face lit up; she had a very good idea of who was at the door. She took Sam by the hand and walked with her to the living room. She looked through the peephole and smiled at the sight. She immediately unlocked the door to find Stefan standing there.

--- "Hi Cousin!"

Stefan shook his head at seeing his cousin answering the door in her towel. He gave her a kiss on either cheek.

--- "Alexis."

She smiled at him amusingly; she put her hands on her hips.

--- "That's how you greet me, Stefan? No hug?"

He shook his head; despite their closeness, he still held onto the formality of a Cassadine male.

--- "Perhaps if you dressed I would be able to greet my favorite cousin appropriately. In addition, she would be able to greet my son as well."

Her smiled widely as she smacked him on the arm.

--- "You brought Nikolas with you, you sneak!"

Stefan chuckled; American life was agreeing with the girl who was once shy and quiet. He stepped outside and held his hand out to the tall five year old boy who entered smiling at Alexis; while Sam appeared to be the size of a tall four year old, Nikolas was the height of a seven year old.

--- "Hi Cousin Alexis."

She held her towel tightly around her and bent forward to give the boy a kiss on either cheek, as she had previously done to his father.

--- "Look how tall you've gotten, Nikolas! You're quite handsome."

The boy blushed at the compliment and at seeing his cousin undressed.

--- "Thank you."

Stefan cleared his throat. He had not expected Alexis to have her child already, but it was a welcomed surprise.

--- "Would you care to introduce us to this pretty little creature hiding behind you?"

Sam hid behind her mother's towel, unsure of the people she was meeting. Alexis laughed and turned around; she held the towel securely around herself.

--- "Sam, baby, you can't hold onto Mommy's towel. Come on, this is your family."

Alexis held her hand out to Sam; the child immediately took a firm grasp to it as she stood beside her new mother, leaning her head onto her leg.

--- "Samantha, this is your cousin Stefan. Stefan, this is my daughter, Samantha."

He knelt down and held his hand out to the girl. Sam looked up at Alexis who nodded her head, encouraging her to take the man's hand.

Stefan, knowing and seeing that the child had been through a lot in her short life, simply gave her little hand a kiss.

--- "It's very nice to meet you, Samantha."

She blushed and pressed her face her into Alexis' leg. Alexis rubbed her daughter's back.

--- "And Sam, this is your other cousin Nikolas, Cousin Stefan's son. Nikolas, this is Sam."

Nikolas, having grown up in the Cassadine fold, mimicked the formality of his father.

--- "It's very nice to meet you as well, Samantha."

Being that the boy was not as intimidating as the man, Sam smiled slightly at him.

Stefan looked at the child and shook his head; he spoke to her mother in French, a language that Nikolas had not yet mastered.

--- "She's tiny."

Alexis nodded her head in agreement.

--- "There's so much that we need to discuss, Stefan. I can't tell you how angry I am with that asshole father of yours."

Stefan had a few choice words he would have enjoyed using on his father at the moment, but he knew that both he and Alexis needed to be strategic in their approach of the situation.

--- "I don't blame you one bit, Alexis."

He held out the bag that he had been holding.

--- "Knowing that you would not have had anything for her when she arrived, I purchased some clothing for this little one. I apologize however as I had not anticipated that she would be so small. I'm afraid they might be too large."

She could not have been more grateful for Stefan; whenever she was in need of anything, it truly amazed her how he always anticipated that need and provided for her.

--- "Thank you, Stefan! I was going to go out after I finished showering, and after bathing Sam, but here you are, saving me once again."

She looked into the bag and found cute dresses, skirts, tights, and the like. She knew that they would never fit, but nonetheless, they were more appropriate for leaving the house than the things Sam was wearing when she was brought to her.

She looked up at her mother.

--- "Mommy, can I go take a bath now?"

--- "Yes, baby. Stefan, if you'll please excuse Sam and I for a few minutes? I'm sorry, I was not expecting you this early. So, please make yourselves comfortable."

He smiled at his cousin… he smiled at them both. It eased his heart to see how attached the little girl had grown to her mother in such a very short time.

--- "Take your time Alexis."

She leaned in and gave him another kiss on the cheek and squeezed Nikolas chubby cheek.

--- "Twenty minutes."

* * *

After trying on several of the outfits Stefan had purchased for her daughter, Alexis was shocked to find one that fit quite well, but for the long sleeves.

--- "Look how wonderful you look, my love."

Sam smiled at her mother.

--- "Am I as pretty as you?"

Alexis lifted her daughter up and held her in her arms as she balanced her on her hip.

--- "Are you kidding me, Sam? You're sooo much prettier than your ugly duckling Mommy!"

Sam wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

--- "You're not ugly. I think you're beautiful."

She tickled her daughter's side causing her to squeal in delight. Alexis was astounded by the resilience her daughter was showing; it warmed her heart that she trusted her as much as she did after knowing her but for less than a day.

--- "You do? Well, I guess I have to believe you, now don't I?"

She put Sam down so she could change. Although she was typically a shy person in regard to her body, she quickly realized that her love of privacy went out the window the moment her daughter came into her life; the child would not let her out of her sight. Alexis shook her head in both sympathy and empathy, at how insecure a young child such as Sam could be so as to be afraid that she might leave her if she was not within reach at all times.

Although she did not know how the day was going to pan out, Alexis decided to change into her suit. She knew that regardless of anything, she had to get to her internship; it was a form of income for her, and now Samantha, that she could not afford to lose if Mikkos decided to cut her off financially. She figured that even if she had to bring Sam with her, she was going into the office.

--- "Mommy?"

--- "Yes, baby?"

Sam bit her lip for a moment.

--- "Is it true?"

Alexis was almost afraid to ask, but she knew she had to.

--- "Is what true?"

--- "You never wanted me? Evelyn said you gave me away because you knew that I wasn't worth keeping."

Alexis was not sure what was more shocking: the fact that the child called the only mother that she had known for six years of her life by her first name, or that the woman could be so cruel as to tell as young child such horrible things.

She buttoned her shirt up, and sat beside her daughter.

--- "Let me tell you something, Samantha; none of that is true. I love you."

Sam moved away from her slightly. To this child, words were lies and empty promises. Cody told her that he loved her on few occasions, but disappeared soon afterwards and left her to Evelyn's mercy. When he returned days later, he patted her on the head, apologized, and promised he would never leave her again. A few weeks later, he would be gone again.

Alas, actions and words are two different things. Sam found that it was easier to believe the former, as they could never disappoint her as the latter had time and time again. Actions were in the moment and indicative of how a person felt at the time; she believed in what actions meant. She could not be disappointed in the happenings of something for which she had no expectations; they simply occurred.

If Cody protected her from a beating, it was because he was being kind at the time; Sam would not have expected that the next time Evelyn came after her again, that he would do as he did the time before. In the same respect, her new mother's actions did not mean that she necessarily loved her, but simply in that moment, she wanted to be kind.

Of course, there was something to be said about a person's character, and being a child, Sam had an intuitiveness that allowed her to see who was likely to treat her poorly or kindly. When she looked at Alexis, she felt in her heart that the woman was kind, but that did not necessarily mean that she loved her.

No one loved her.

--- "Ok."

It was as though Alexis were looking into a mirror of her past. The child may have been tinier, in stature, than she was, but the face was the same. Most of all, the look of sadness despite any showing of kindness, was apparent. It was clear to her that in her six years on this earth, Sam had been met with nothing but disappoint. Alexis knew that she needed to change that.

She pulled Sam onto her lap and kissed her on the top of her head.

--- "I know that it's hard to believe, Chipmunk, but I do love you. I love you more than anything in this world. I have loved you since the minute I found out that I was going to have you. I know that it's hard to believe me because if I loved you, why would I give you to those awful people—"

She needed to stop speaking so that she could compose herself of the emotions that threatened to escape from her throat.

She turned Sam around to face her.

--- "I was very young when I had you, sweetheart. I could not take care of you. I wanted to, but I could not even take care of myself. So, the person who was raising me decided that it would be best to send you away to someone who could make sure that you were well taken care of."

Sam played with her mother's necklace as she listened to her. Alexis lifted her chin so she could look at her; if she had not heard anything she had said previously, she needed her to hear this.

--- "Samantha, if I would have known that the people you were given to would treat you the way the McCalls have treated you, I would have found a way keep you and raise you myself. I know that this might now mean much to you now, but I hope in time you will believe me when I tell you that I'm not letting you go. I will not leave you. I will not let anyone take you away from me again. No matter what anyone says, don't let them tell you any different than this: You are worth everything to me."

Sam stared at her mother, who had tears rolling down her cheeks, for a moment. She passed her little hands on Alexis' and wiped away the fallen tears. She wrapped her arms around her neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She had no words to convey to the woman; that was simply how she felt… in the moment.


	3. Fairytales

_You all are wonderful with your comments. They are very much appreciated and quite inspiring. Thank you._

**Chapter Three**

**Fairytales**

Alexis and Sam walked hand in hand out of the bedroom dressed and ready to start the day. Stephan and Nikolas stood up as they walked into the living room.

--- "Now, I can hug my favorite cousin. It's nice to see that you've taken a liking to normal attire, Alexis."

Alexis smiled and rolled her eyes at the man.

--- "You know, Stefan, I only wear the towel on special occasions."

He wagged his finger at her and embraced her in a warm hug. While the two spoke on the phone regularly, they had not actually seen each other in some months; he missed her.

--- "I see we're beginning to mend the raven's broken wing?"

Alexis nodded her head as she thought about the conversation she had just had with her daughter. She needed to find a way to help the child realize how much she was loved. She passed her hand through her daughter's curls.

--- "I think it'll be a very slow process, Stefan, but I have faith in her; she's a fighter."

He gave her hand a squeeze.

--- "Like her mother."

She laid her hand on the side of his face, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

--- "I had a lot of help from you, Cousin."

--- "And you will continue to receive that help. And now that this little one is in our lives, I have someone else to spoil."

He smiled at Sam, who looked away from him and leaned into the woman; the child did not allow Alexis to be detached from her. Alexis gave her a pinch under the cheek, causing her to laugh shyly in the presence of the two strangers she had just met. She leaned her face into Alexis' leg to muffle her laughter and shield her smile.

She lifted Sam up and rubbed her back.

--- "It seems this little chipmunk is a bit shy."

Sam laid her head onto her mother's shoulder and played with the back of her necklace. Stefan smiled at the sight.

--- "Motherhood fits you well, Alexis."

She smiled at him. For someone who had never had a maternal figure in her life, it was a bit surprising that she would be so good with a child. However, it seemed that one's innermost desires had ways of dictating her future actions. Growing up, Alexis may not have been given the maternal affections deserving of a child, but the love and affection she showed to her daughter was reflective of how she would have liked to have been treated by the people who took her into their home.

She gave Sam a kiss on the cheek, wiping the lipstick off.

--- "Well, it's pretty difficult to not love this little girl. She's quite beautiful and very sweet."

He nodded his head in agreement.

--- "She looks much like you did as a child."

She playfully smacked him in the arm causing both Sam and Nikolas to laugh.

--- "Geez, don't insult her, Stefan! My goodness, I was a pathetic little thing."

He looked at the child with her arms wrapped around a woman whom she barely knew, but appeared to nevertheless trust. He could not help but compare their budding relationship with that of his and her mother's.

--- "You were beautiful, Alexis."

_**Flashback**_

_Mikkos walked into the Cassadine castle holding the hand of a four year old little girl with dark brown hair and eyes. She appeared to be traumatized and spoke to no one. When he brought her into the library where the rest of the family was seated, Helena instantly shot up in protest._

_--- "What is that?"_

_He released the child's hand and walked to the bar and fixed himself a drink._

_--- "That is a child, wife."_

_He kept his eyes glued onto the woman as he spoke the next line._

_--- "Her name is Alexandra Davidovitch. She and her parents were just in a horrible car accident, and she was the sole survivor."_

_Their eldest son, at fourteen years of age, was as wretched as his mother; he glared from the girl to his father._

_--- "And why exactly is she our burden to bear?"_

_Mikkos took a drink and continued to stare at his wife while answering his son's question._

_--- "Because she is family. She is the daughter of my cousin."_

_The boy was incorrigible. He had already Stefan to deal with, although he was not much of competition in regard to his mother's affections, but now this child was to live in their home and take attention from him. He stared at her in disgust; it seemed in that instant that he hated the poor girl._

_--- "And does she not have any other family?"_

_Once again, Mikkos stared at his wife without turning to look at his son._

_--- "No. And there will be no more questions on the matter."_

_Mikkos sat in his chair in the corner of the room with a book in his hand disregarding the child who stood quietly at the entrance of the room. Helena glared at her husband and immediately walked out of the room to arrange a place for the child to sleep, ensuring that she bumped into the tiny thing on her way out._

_Stefan, their second and quite neglected twelve year old son, immediately felt a sense of compassion for the girl. He walked over to her._

_--- "Hello Alexandra, I am your cousin Stefan."_

_The young girl kept her head down as the boy spoke to her, willing her tears to remain at bay._

_When he realized that she was not responding to him, he took her by the hand showing her the different parts of the very large castle. _

_--- "I know it's really big, but don't worry, you'll quickly find your way."_

_She took a deep breath as she bit her lip looking around the dark and dreary new home she was to live in. Stefan, noticing her trepidation, bent down and tapped her on the chin._

_--- "Don't worry, with me around, you'll never get lost. I'll help you."_

_Tears filled the little girls eyes, which she promptly wiped away._

_--- "Thank you, Stefan."_

_He smiled at her and took her hand as they walked to the room Helena had chosen for her._

_**End of Flashback**_

Aside from his own son, Stefan saw Alexis, and not Samantha, to be two of the most important people in his life. He related to this woman and girl more than he did to any other person. Were it not for the relationship he had with Alexis, he too would have been unloved and cast aside. While Alexis sang his praises, and thanked him for every monetary donation to the building of her future, he wondered to himself if she ever realized that he was himself, forever indebted to her for teaching him how to love.

He smiled at the two and held up a bag.

--- "I've brought some more things with me for this quiet little bird."

Alexis shook her head; she did not know what else this man could possibly have brought for her.

--- "My goodness, Stefan, you're spoiling her. You've already gotten her so many clothes, one of which, I might add and as you may be able to tell, fits her quite well."

He held his hand toward the couch so that she would sit down.

--- "Please just have a seat Alexis."

She nodded her head and sat on the couch; Sam immediately held tightly to the woman and leaned into her, almost attempting to shield her face from her new cousins. Alexis gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

--- "It's okay, honey; Stefan and Nikolas love you."

There was that word again. Love. Sam sighed and used Alexis' suit jacket to further hide her face. Alexis shrugged to her cousin, and mouthed an apology.

He nodded and looked to his young son.

--- "Nikolas, would you like to give Samantha the gift you've chosen for her?"

The boy smiled.

--- "Yes Father."

He walked to his father who handed him the bag. He approached Alexis and his new cousin.

--- "Samantha, I've gotten you a gift that I hope you'll like."

Sam looked up at Alexis for reassurance; she had never before received so much in one day; she was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

--- "Mommy?"

Alexis smiled at her daughter.

--- "Go ahead, Sam."

She loosened her grip on her mother and apprehensively took the bag from the boy.

--- "Thank you."

She spoke as quietly as a mouse scurried through a house; she was almost afraid that if she spoke too loudly she might undoubtedly awake from this dream.

Nikolas smiled graciously and with the poise of a true Cassadine heir.

--- "You're welcome, Samantha."

She slowly removed the tissue paper from the bag, savoring every moment, and yet unsure of what to expect. When the paper was removed she reached into the bag and pulled out a stuffed mouse. She smiled shyly from the toy to Nikolas.

--- "Thank you."

Alexis rolled her eyes and spoke to Stefan in French.

--- "Of all things to get for my daughter, you buy her a mouse? Trying to be funny?"

Stefan smiled innocently at his cousin.

--- "Honestly, I did not choose the gift, Alexis. Nikolas thought that Samantha might like it. If you look at it, you will notice that it is from that fairy tale Cinderella. I believe that that mouse's name is either Jaq or Gus; it certainly is of no concern to me."

Nevertheless, having been called a little mouse all of her life, by a woman more hateful than Cinderella's stepmother, Alexis still did not care for her daughter having such a toy. But, as she watched her daughter holding the toy to her chest, and passing her little finger along its fur, Alexis could not help but allow the melting of her heart to wash away any feeling of resentment she harbored toward the mocking nickname; she smiled at her daughter.

--- "What do you have there, chipmunk?"

Sam smiled with tears in her eyes at her mother.

--- "It's a mouse… from Cinderella."

Alexis was shocked that the child even knew who Cinderella was. It was a miracle that Evelyn had allowed her even that small sense of normalcy.

--- "Wow, I didn't know that! Do you like Cinderella?"

--- "Hmm-mmm."

Stefan chuckled to himself as he moved from the chair onto the coffee table in front of Alexis and Sam. He held out a beautifully wrapped box to Sam.

--- "Well, it's a good thing you like fairy tales, Samantha, because I think you'll especially like this."

Sam hesitantly turned herself in Alexis' lap and took the gift from Stefan.

--- "Thank you."

He smiled at the small girl.

--- "Be careful, Samantha; I'm afraid it might be slightly heavy."

She smiled as she quickly scooted herself back against Alexis. As painstakingly as she had opened the first gift, she did the same with the second. She slowly removed the bow, and handed it to her mother. She then undid each taped section, careful not to tear the delicate paper. Finally, when she removed the box from its wrapping, she bit her lip, almost afraid of what might be inside. Alexis placed her chin on top of her daughter's head.

--- "Go ahead, chipmunk. Open it."

_**Flashback**_

_It was a cold Christmas season in New Jersey, where the family had been living. Four year old Sam, who had learned in her pre-kindergarten class that all children received presents that time of year from Santa Claus, was excited at the prospect of receiving something for Christmas. Being that she was so young, she had no recollection of her previous Christmas to know that she had never before received a gift. In fact, the McCalls never bothered to decorate for a holiday which seemed to remind them of the fact that they had no money to spend on their two brats: one who was, according to Evelyn, to stupid to know the difference, and the other who was an extra mouth to feed that they could have done without. Sam, not knowing any of this, happily brought her Christmas artwork home with her to show to Cody (even at such a young age, she was well aware that Evelyn had no interest in her schoolwork). _

_She found him sitting in the kitchen when she returned from school and ran into his arms._

_--- "Cody!"_

_Neither parent ever required the girl to call them anything but their first name. On Cody's part, it was not because he did not love her; he simply knew that he was not the kind of man who deserved the title, 'Dad' or 'Daddy.' Evelyn, on the other hand, had no love for the child. She was not interested in having a child who shared no genetic make-up with her, and whom she did not carry for nine months in her womb, to call her mother; for as much as she did not view Sam as her daughter, she certainly did not need the girl to view her as anyone but someone who occasionally fed and clothed her._

_Cody lifted the girl up and placed her on the counter._

_--- "And how are you today, marshmallow?"_

_She shrugged her shoulders._

_--- "Okay."_

_She took her bookbag off and pulled out the colorings she had done that day in school._

_--- "Look at what I did! Isn't it pretty?"_

_He looked at the picture and smiled._

_--- "Yes it is! That's very nice."_

_--- "Do you know what it is?"_

_He poked her playfully in the stomach._

_--- "Of course I know what it is, silly! It's a tree."_

_He did not want to clue into the child that it was a Christmas tree, hoping that she would not ask him to get one; the family simply could not afford it. However, being a child, Sam believed others to not know yet what she had recently learned in school; it was her job to share with others what she had learned._

_--- "It's a Christmas tree, Cody!"_

_He scratched the side of his face._

_--- "Are they even supposed to be teaching you about Christmas in public school?"_

_She shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to tell the man about what she had learned._

_--- "And you know what, Cody?"_

_--- "What?"_

_She smiled widely, displaying unbrushed teeth, before leaning in to tell him the next part as though it were a secret._

_--- "You put presents under the tree."_

_Evelyn walked into the room and noticed the picture of the colored Christmas tree. She rolled her eyes as she walked to their empty refrigerator. She glared at the little girl._

_--- "Samantha, let me explain something to you. Do you see this fridge?"_

_Sam looked up to Cody who nodded his head for her to respond._

_--- "Yes."_

_Evelyn took out a gallon of milk, opened and smelled it. She scowled at Cody, before looking at Sam._

_--- "Unless Santa Claus, or whoever the hell your school is telling you is supposed to bring you gifts for Christmas, plans on paying for the electricity bill and filling our fridge with food, there won't be any gifts in this house. Perhaps if Cody here weren't such a waste of f*cking sperm, some of the food in that God damned fridge wouldn't be spoiled."_

_She then walked up to her husband and emptied the gallon the spoiled milk over his head._

_--- "There won't be any presents in this house, little girl. It's not like you deserved them anyway. Now, clean this mess up."_

_She walked out of the room screaming obscenities and leaving Sam in tears. Cody patted the child on the back and lifted her off the counter._

_--- "Why don't you go put your things away? I'll clean this up."_

_Sam nodded her head and walked out of the room._

_Instead of doing as he said, however, Cody slipped out of the back door and disappeared from the house until after Christmas. When Evelyn later went into the kitchen and discovered that the milk was still all over the floor, she beat the little girl for disobeying her orders._

_**End of Flashback**_

Sam sighed and opened the box to find a beautifully hand-drawn book of fairytales. She had never seen anything so beautiful. She was almost doubtful as to whether or not the gift was truly hers.

--- "Is-is this for me?"

Stefan patted her on her knee.

--- "There is no other person in this room deserving of such a book."

She frowned at the man. She wondered if this could possibly be some form of a joke.

--- "But what about Mommy?"

Alexis gave her a squeeze.

--- "Sam, I'm a bit too old for that, but I can read it to you before we go to sleep tonight."

She shook her head and slipped off of Alexis' lap to hand the book back to Stefan.

--- "I don't deserve this."

He refused to accept the book. He instead scooted over on the coffee table and patted it for Sam to sit. He looked over to Alexis who tried to conceal the fact that she had begun to cry, and over to Nikolas who quietly sat in his chair reading a book of his own.

--- "Samantha, this is a gift to you, from your cousin Stefan. I'm giving it to you because I thought it would make you happy."

She held tightly to the book keeping her head down.

--- "It does."

He wanted to reach for her and hold her in his arms, but he was afraid of how she might react, so he simply continued to speak.

--- "Well Samantha, it makes me happy to give it to you. I think you deserve it because you're a very nice little girl who makes your mommy Alexis happy as well."

She looked over to her new mother seeking confirmation; she had not yet decided that she believed anything this kind man was telling her, but she was slowly beginning to believe that the woman did not intend to lie to her. It did not mean that she trusted Alexis entirely; it simply meant that she knew in her heart that being a kind woman, Alexis would not willfully lie to her.

--- "I make you happy?"

Alexis nodded her head and gave the child's tiny leg a squeeze.

--- "Very happy, honey."

Sam looked at her for a moment wondering if what she said could possibly be truthful.

--- "But you don't know me."

Alexis took the book from her daughter's hands and placed it on the coffee table. She pulled her back into her arms.

--- "Baby, I know you more than you can believe. I know what you're going through because I've been there. And you know what? Stefan was there for me the way he wants to be here for you. And remember everything I told you in our room?"

Sam played again with her mother's necklace before looking at her.

--- "That you love me?"

Alexis smiled sadly at the girl.

--- "Yes. I love you more than anything in this world. And you know what else? I'm not the only one who loves you; Cousin Stefan loves you as well. And when you love someone, sometimes you give him or her a gift because you know that it'll make him or her happy. I think that's what Stefan and Nikolas were doing. They want to make you happy because they love you."

Everything that Sam had ever known about life was being thrown out of the window and was being replaced by things she had never before experienced. She nodded her head before turning around to look at Stefan; she smiled at him.

--- "Thank you, Cousin Stefan."

He tapped her nose before handing her the book.

--- "You're very welcome. Now, would you mind if I spoke to your Mommy alone?"

Sam bit her lip and looked up at Alexis. She was terrified to leave the woman's side for fear that everything that had happened from the night before to now would disappear. After experiencing such kindness, she did not want to go back to life with Evelyn and Cody.

--- "Mommy?"

Alexis gave her a kiss on the cheek.

--- "Sam, I'm not going anywhere. Okay? Why don't you and Nikolas go to our bedroom and look through the book Cousin Stefan bought for you? Or you can have Nikolas show you what he's reading? I'm going to make you a bowl of cereal."

Sam nodded her head and slipped off her mother's lap and walked over to Nikolas who was already standing and waiting for Sam to lead him to the bedroom. As they were leaving the room, Alexis called out to Sam.

--- "Hey, Samantha?"

She stopped and turned around.

--- "Yes?"

--- "Mommy loves you, okay? I love you very much."

Sam bit her lip, nodded and walked into the bedroom with Nikolas.

* * *

Alexis hid her face behind her hands as she cried. It broke her heart to think that her daughter was subjected to the same kind of cruelty as she had been as a child. She found it unfathomable how a person could treat an innocent child with such spite. She cried for the fact that her daughter was unable to understand what it meant to be loved, or to receive a gift.

Stefan wrapped his arms around her. He shook his head at the merciless hands of fate that allowed such a life to repeat itself.

--- "It's alright Alexis."

She cried for a few moments before moving from his arms.

--- "You should have seen what she looked like when she was brought here. She was filthy, she hadn't been bathed in days, her teeth were disgustingly filthy, her clothes smelled. My goodness, I don't even know the last time that she had eaten! Stefan, her little body is riddled with bruises and scars."

As he listened to her speak, Stefan grew more and more incensed. If the McCalls had been anywhere in the vicinity at that point, he was certain he would have murdered them with his bare hands. He had vowed to protect Alexis all of her life, and therefore had made the same promise to her daughter; it was evident that he had failed to keep his promise. He could only be grateful that the child was finally out of harms way and back where she belonged.

--- "Look, Alexis, she's out of their house. For whatever reason Evelyn had enough mercy to give her back to you."

Alexis reached for a tissue and wiped her nose.

--- "Sure, but for how long? I mean, I don't even know where this woman lives. She apparently got kicked out of her home and is living with her sister. When I asked her for her contact information, she said she would be in touch. That's what she said in the letter, and next thing I know, a few hours later I've got this beautiful child in my arms. What happens if she suddenly decides a few hours from now that she's changed her mind and now wants to take Sam away from me? Stefan, I don't have any rights to that child."

Stefan stood up and paced the room.

--- "Well, clearly you're not to give her back."

She leaned back into the couch and nodded her head.

--- "I would sooner die, than give my daughter back to those bastards."

He pointed at her.

--- "Don't say that. You give up your life, Alexis, and that child is right back in those animals' hands. You fight for your child to the deaths, but make sure it isn't yours. Those people, if I can help it will lose their lives long before you ever will."

She bit her lip and looked up at the man she had always viewed as her brother. He was fuming.

--- "Stefan, what am I going to do about Mikkos and Helena?"

He thought for a moment. This was a delicate situation; his mother would have no problems attempting to convince his father to cut Alexis off and allow her to raise her bastard on her own. He could hear her now saying that it would serve the little mouse to learn how to be an adult and struggle for once in her life. It truly disgusted him how evil his mother was.

--- "Naturally, Father may have you give the child back. He will not want you to raise her."

Alexis stood up and began to set a bowl out for Sam to eat breakfast.

--- "You know what, Stefan, I don't give a damn what Mikkos has to say—"

--- "You better start caring Alexis because you've got your daughter to think about. Right now, you're a student with a lot of responsibilities. Yes, you make some money at your internship, but it isn't enough to raise a child."

She shrugged her shoulders.

--- "Stefan, I'm not giving Sam up. I failed her once before, I'm not doing it again. I allowed Mikkos to tell me that she would be given to a nice family, and instead she was given to these people who've done nothing but abuse her and make her feel worthless. I'm sorry, but if I have to struggle on my own raising my daughter, I'll do it. I don't need to live in this lavish apartment; I can live in a studio. She would be far better off in a cramped apartment with me, than in some house with those people. Besides, I already have a job lined up in New York for after graduation."

He sighed; she clearly did not understand how difficult raising a child would be, especially one with emotional problems.

--- "Alexis, I don't know if you've noticed but that child is glued to your side."

She rolled her eyes.

--- "Believe me, Stefan, I've noticed."

--- "Well, you just accepted a job at a firm where you will undoubtedly be working fifty and sixty hours a week. When will you see your daughter?"

She had not thought about that. There was no way she would have her daughter be raised by nannies as she and Stefan had been brought up because Mikkos was too busy to give a damn about them, and Helena simply did not give a damn for anyone outside of Stavros. Moreover, she could not afford one anyway, so her other option would be day care. Either way, she could not leave her daughter for that long.

--- "I suppose I didn't think about that. Stefan, I'll figure something out."

He sighed.

--- "I never took you as someone who was naïve, Alexis—"

She immediately became defensive as she poured the cereal into the bowl.

--- "I'm not!"

--- "That's how you're acting! What are you going to tell Father if he stops by on one of his unannounced visits and sees Samantha here? That she's a roommate? Or a fellow law student? My goodness, looking at that child, anyone with half a brain could tell that she is your daughter."

Alexis put the box of cereal down and began to pour milk into the bowl. She knew that it was not going to be a simple task raising her daughter with the amount of responsibilities on her plate, but she certainly was not going to allow a man who had betrayed her so horribly to dictate her life.

--- "Well, what pray tell, would you like me to do, Stefan?"

He watched her for a moment before chuckling.

--- "The first thing would be to stop pouring milk into the child's bowl."

Alexis had absent-mindedly poured milk into the bowl until it overflowed.

--- "Sh!t!"

He handed her a dishrag.

--- "The second thing, would be to not say anything at all."

Alexis carefully cleaned up the spilt milk; she did not want any to spill onto her suit. She skeptically looked at her cousin.

--- "Weren't you just telling me that Mikkos could stop by unannounced and see Sam? Wouldn't that be worse than actual telling the son of a b!tch that the child he threw to the dogs is back where she belongs?"

Stefan pressed the bridge of his nose.

--- "Alexis, you're a smart girl, but right now you're allowing your anger to stop you from thinking logically about the situation."

She stopped what she was doing and waited for the revelation of her cousin's big plan. He cleared his throat.

--- "Every month, Father sends you a check to cover your expenses and gives you a certain amount of pocket money, does he not?"

She nodded her head, so he continued.

--- "So, I suggest that from now until he realizes that Sam is in your care, you live on a very frugal budget. Save every penny that you can, including your paycheck. If when he discovers her here, he decides that he will no longer support you, you will have had money put away to live on until you can get on your feet. And before you say anything, I will from this point forward be putting some money aside for you both in an account which neither Mother nor Father can touch, even if they freeze my accounts."

Alexis walked over to her cousin and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

--- "You really are too good to me. But, Stefan, if they freeze your accounts, what will you and Nikolas live on?"

He laughed aloud.

--- "Nikolas is the only grandson of the great Mikkos Cassadine, and that bastard Stavros is rotting in hell; and much to Mother's chagrin, I am the only son remaining. I think that it is safe to say that even if he were to freeze my access to the Cassadine money, he would still provide for my son and me. Don't worry about us, Alexis. Take care of that beautiful daughter of yours."

She smiled sadly at him as she watched Sam and Nikolas return to the living room.

--- "That's all I ever wanted to do, Cousin."

* * *

**Happy New Year! I'll see you all on the other side!**


	4. Perfectly Happy Ever Afters

Uuuuuuuugh… Happy F'ing New Year! I won't even begin to tell you the condition I'm in after that celebration. SMH. Those of you on twitter are quite aware of my dire straits. Nonetheless, I've moved my head away from the toilet bowl long enough to write this for you. Enjoy and once again, many thanks for your reviews.

**Chapter Four**

**Perfectly Happy Ever Afters**

Sam sat in Alexis' room looking through the book of Fairytales Stefan had purchased for her, while Nikolas excused himself to use the bathroom. She looked at the pictures of Cinderella with her evil stepmother and stepsisters, then of Cinderella and her fairy godmother. She passed her little finger on the kind woman's face and smiled to herself; aside from being elderly and fat, it seemed to her that Alexis was her real life fairy godmother… actually, even better: Alexis was her mother.

When Nikolas came out of the bathroom and discovered her staring at the picture, he frowned; fairytales were not stories in which he had any interest.

--- "You sure like that story, Samantha."

Sam looked at the boy she was told was her cousin. She had never had a cousin before as, to her knowledge, neither Evelyn nor Cody had any family.

--- "I like fairytales; everyone ends up happy."

Nikolas moved to sit on the bed beside her. Although he was only five, he was highly intelligent and quite mature for his age. Being a Cassadine heir, he was privately tutored in English, Russian, Greek, and French, along with math and other subjects requested by his father. He was being brought up to have knowledge of the arts and literature. As Stefan put it, his son was to have the best education and represent the Cassadine name with honor and pride. As a result, Nikolas, was, at five, for lack of a better word, intellectually developed.

--- "You are aware that life is not like that; there is no such thing as a happy ending."

Sam bit her lip unsure of how to respond. Given the cards life had dealt her, she hoped that her life would turn out better than it had started. Sure, she did not know anything about going off to be married and living happily ever after with her husband; in her young mind, she wanted that fairytale ending to be with her new mother. Sam wanted Alexis to be her happily ever after.

--- "I don't think everyone is always sad like Cinderella was in the beginning with her stepmother and sisters. She was rescued—"

--- "By a fairy, Samantha. There's no such thing as fairies."

Her lips quivered at the thought that this carriage ride she was on might at any moment turn into a pumpkin, and she would return to the McCalls.

--- "I don't care! My new mommy can be my fairy godmother. She said she loves—"

Sam had to stop herself from speaking as she realized that in such a short period of time, she had managed to allow herself to believe in something an absolute stranger had told her. She felt stupid for thinking that she could not only believe that Alexis would actually permanently whisk her away from the McCalls, but that she loved her. She had to stop herself from speaking as she came to the realization that she was quickly believing in words she had taught herself to doubt.

Nikolas, not intending to make the girl cry, felt sorry for what he had said. He was not at all an ill-willed child; he was too impeccably well-mannered to purposefully hurt another's feelings. Seeing his new cousin cry because of something that he had said upset him. He immediately attempted to fix his error.

--- "Please don't cry. Cousin Alexis does love you; Father told me this himself! He never lies to me."

Sam turned her back to the boy as she wiped her fallen tears. He quickly stood up and ran for a tissue; he handed it to her.

--- "I'm sorry, Samantha! I wasn't trying to make it seem like Cousin Alexis wasn't your fairy godmother. I was just saying that life isn't always like that—"

The little girl turned around and looked at him.

--- "You're five. What do you know about life?"

He shrugged his shoulders at the petite girl one year older than he, but much so smaller than he.

--- "I don't know. My father reads me Greek myths; people die or get trapped in the underworld. Their lives are nothing like the stuff in your fairytales. There is happiness, but there is also sadness."

She sighed and walked to the door; despite her reservations, she wanted her new mother and even more, she wanted her reassurance. She softly spoke to Nikolas.

--- "Can we just go to my Mommy?"

He quickly went ahead of her so that he might open the door; he had always been taught that a gentleman always opened doors for a lady.

--- "Alright, although I don't know if Father and Cousin have finished speaking."

She looked down almost ashamed to admit her next statement.

--- "I just want to be with her."

He nodded his head as he held the door open for her.

* * *

Alexis smiled when she saw her daughter walking back into the room, but noticed that she had been crying. She immediately walked over to the girl who buried her face into her mother's leg. She bent down to Sam's level and wiped away her tears.

--- "What's the matter, honey? Why are you crying?"

Sam moved into Alexis and rested her head onto her shoulder.

--- "Nikolas said there's no such thing as happy endings."

Alexis looked to her young cousin for a better explanation of what had happened. Nikolas moved next to his father, who was also curious as to what was said to the newest member of their family.

--- "Samantha was looking at the book of fairytales Father purchased for her and said that she liked them because everyone ended up happy. I simply told her that life was not like that. I didn't mean to make her cry."

Stefan put his hand on his son's shoulder.

--- "It's alright, Nikolas. I'm sure Cousin Alexis knows that you did not intend to hurt Samantha's feelings."

Alexis nodded as she lifted her daughter.

--- "Stefan is right, Nikolas. You're a nice boy; I know that your intentions were good. Sam will be fine. Now, would you care for a bowl of cereal? I'm sorry that I don't have much to offer you, but you know I can't cook."

Stefan chuckled and answered for his son.

--- "That's quite alright, Alexis. We have already eaten knowing that we would not expect five star service here."

She rolled her eyes at her cousin.

--- "Thank you, Cousin."

--- "I know that you must have a busy day ahead of you, would you like me to watch Samantha for you? I'm sure she and Nikolas would enjoy a day at the zoo or aquarium."

Alexis considered taking her cousin up on his offer, but when Sam tightened her hold on her, she thought better of the idea. Luckily it was a light day as she only had one class and a few hours to spend at her internship; she figured she would take her daughter with her. In addition, she needed to figure out how she would handle the remainder of the semester, and her responsibilities to the law fraternity, the law review, and the moot court competition, while raising Sam; she knew something was going to have to give as her main priority would be to ensure the girl's well-being.

--- "Thank you so much for the offer, Stefan, but I think I'll pass. Sam is going to spend the day with her mommy. That should be fun right?"

Clearly, she intended the last statement for the child who nodded her head unaware of how tedious a law class could actually be.

Stefan moved to his cousin and gave her a kiss on the cheek and passed his hand along Sam's back.

--- "Well, please allow me to take you two lovely ladies to dinner tonight?"

--- "Stefan, thank you very much, but—"

He put his hands up as her interrupted her.

--- "Dear Cousin, I will not allow you to have this child live on cereal and popcorn as you do. She's quite small as it is; she needs a proper meal. I will not take no for an answer."

Alexis smiled and rolled her eyes at the man who knew her just as well as she knew herself.

--- "I would not have fed my child popcorn."

Stefan made a face at the woman. She laughed and poked him in the arm.

--- "Well, I also have pop tarts. Plus there's take-out."

He shook his head as he took Nikolas' hand into his and walked to the door. He stopped just before stepping out to leave.

--- "I will be by at seven forty-five; please be ready on time. Have a good day ladies. And Alexis, please remember what I said."

He smiled and left Alexis and Sam to the rest of their day.

Alexis gave her daughter a kiss before putting her down on the stool. Since she had ruined the first bowl of cereal, she laid out two clean bowls and poured some more cereal. She looked at her daughter who still looked downtrodden. She set the milk on the counter and sat down beside her.

--- "Chipmunk, are you still sad over what Nikolas said? You know he did not mean to hurt your feelings right? He's a very nice boy; I think you and he will get along very well once you get to know him better."

Sam looked at her mother with tears once again welling in her teardrop shaped eyes.

--- "Is there a such thing as a fairy godmother?"

Alexis wanted to give her daughter the answer that she wanted to hear, but she knew that she could not; all she had to offer her was her care and support. She pulled the girl into her lap and poured milk into the two bowls of cereal, careful to not once again overfill them. She handed Sam a spoon.

--- "Sweetheart, there are no such things as fairy godmothers, that's just in the fairytales."

Sam had hoped that Nikolas was wrong, but her mother had reaffirmed what he had said. Her little heart hurt.

--- "So there's no such thing as happy endings, is there?"

Alexis kissed the girl on the top of the head as she thought of a proper answer for her. She knew that Sam needed to hear that in the end everything worked out for people as it did for Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. Unfortunately, her five year old cousin was right; life did not always work out that way.

--- "You know what, honey, we just never know. Sometimes people end up happy, and sometimes people end up being sad. It's just the way things happen. Just because someone is sad at one time, it doesn't mean that they'll always feel that way. Life is always changing."

Sam put her spoon back into the bowl of cereal.

--- "Does that mean because I'm happy now, that I might be sad again?"

It warmed Alexis' heart that her daughter had openly admitted that she was happy with her; such an admission was a clear sign of progress. At the same time, however, it hurt her to realize that she had just helped open the door to the child's doubt that the happiness was permanent; she needed to find a way to prove to her that even if she were to ever again be sad, it would certainly not be because they were once again separated from each other and she was out of her care.

--- "Baby, there are times when you'll be happy and times you'll be sad; that's just that was life is. I can't promise you that you won't ever be sad, because you know what? Mommy gets sad too."

Sam looked up at the woman. She saw how beautiful her home was and how nice her family was; to Sam, Alexis was the prettiest woman she had ever seen. She did not understand how it could be possible that someone who obviously had so much could ever be sad.

--- "But your life is perfect—"

In comparison to what Samantha had grown accustomed, it would certainly seem that Alexis' life was perfect, alas, that was not the case; this woman's life was far from perfection.

_**Flashback**_

_Dinner at the Cassadine household was always served promptly at eight o'clock. While Stavros was usually late, and Mikkos frequently absent from the dinner table, Helena demanded that her barely tolerated son and the freeloading orphan arrive on time. _

_One night, however, having been suspiciously locked in her room, six year old Alexis and fourteen year old Stefan, who managed to free her after finding a servant to unlock the door, arrived one minute late. _

_Helena sat at the dinner table with her fork planted into piece of steak, with the knife at the ready to slice through it, when the children arrived. As Mikkos was once again on a business trip, she reigned the house as she saw fit. She looked at the young girl and adolescent boy, then to the grandfather clock in the corner of the room._

_--- "Stefan, would you care to tell me what time it is?"_

_The young boy glanced at the clock._

_--- "It is eight o'clock Mother."_

_Helena cut a piece of her steak and looked to her beloved son who sat to her right. _

_--- "Stavros, my love, would you care to tell that ignorant child the time?_

_Stavros smiled sweetly at his mother before sneering at his brother. He, even at sixteen when son's long left their mother's bosom's for that of girls' their own age, was what one would call a mama's boy. He adored Helena and worked to emulate her every action. What she liked, he liked; what she hated, he hated as well. In the household, being that the two children before them were at the top of her list of persons for whom she had little patience, Stavros made it his life's goal to torture his brother and cousin to the best of his ability hoping to gain more favor from his mother. It worked._

_--- "Mother, I believe the clock states that it is one minute after eight."_

_Helena took a bite of the piece of steak hanging on her fork as she thought of how she would proceed. She could have the children sit to dinner, but be denied dessert, or she could be much more cruel and send the children to bed without a meal. The latter option was far more appealing than the former as she had already earlier denied the little waif of a child lunch for coming to the lunch table soiled. Of course, the young girl was, while out on a walk with Stefan, knocked down to the ground by Stavros, which resulted in her torn stocking and scraped knee. Helena, living to make the child miserable, remained unconcerned and enjoyed the look of sorrow in the orphan's eyes._

_--- "Well, considering that it is past eight o'clock and we have already begun to eat, it seems quite disrespectful and unfair to us to allow you two to dine with us. We managed to come to the table on time; there was no reason—"_

_Alexis, being so hungry that her stomach was loudly growled, uncharacteristically interrupted the woman._

_--- "But I was locked in my room."_

_Helena's blood boiled at the child's audacity to interrupt her as she spoke. She quickly got up from the table, approached the young girl, and smacked her hard across the face causing Alexis to stumble backwards. Stefan moved to ensure that she did not fall. Being so protective of the girl, he screamed at the woman._

_--- "Mother, that was uncalled for!"_

_In response to his upset, Helena smacked him as hard as, if not harder than, she had just hit the girl. Her disgust for her son increased tremendously in that moment; his overprotection of the girl appalled her._

_--- "Get out of my sight… both of you. I don't care for your excuses. You will be on time for dinner, or you will simply not eat at all."_

_As Alexis and Stefan turned to leave, Helena called after the child._

_--- "Alexandra."_

_The little girl wiped the tears from her stung face as she turned to face the woman. She had no idea what it was that she had ever done to the woman to be hated as much as she was. Despite her growling stomach, she almost felt grateful that she did not have to sit through dinner with her or her equally unpleasant son._

_--- "Yes, ma'am?"_

_Helena smiled as she saw the look of despair on her face. _

_--- "If you ever interrupt me again, you will suffer more than a couple of missed meals. When I speak, you keep your ugly little mouth shut. You do not speak. Period."_

_Alexis unsure if she was to respond or not, simply nodded her head. Stefan took her by the hand and walked with her out of the room. He would steal something from the kitchen for them to eat after Helena and Stavros retired for the night._

_**End of Flashback**_

Alexis smiled sadly at her daughter before stealing a spoon of her cereal causing the girl to laugh.

--- "Chipmunk, the closest my life has ever come to perfection was in this moment right now: having you on my lap and eating frosted flakes."

* * *

After spending a few hours at her internship and then sitting through her Advanced Civil Procedure class with Sam coloring in the coloring book she had purchased for her earlier that morning, Alexis decided to stop by her moot court coach's office to drop out of the competition. She knew that there was no way she could dedicate as much time into the program as she would have liked if she had to take care of her daughter. As saddened, as she might have been to make such a decision, her daughter meant more to her than the competition ever could.

She held Sam's hand as she walked into the office.

--- "Good Afternoon, Professor Vincent."

The man looked up and smiled when he saw her standing in front of him; Alexis was the star of his team. The young woman was meant to be in a courtroom; he was grateful for her participation.

--- "Ms. Davis, how are you?"

--- "I'm well, thank you, Professor."

As he stood up to offer her a seat in the chair opposite his desk, he was shocked to see that she was accompanied by a very small child, who wrapped her arm around the woman's leg; she shyly hid her face from view.

--- "And who is this little one attached to you like a third leg?"

Alexis smiled at him. This was the hardest part for her; being that she was the youngest in her graduating class, no one knew that she was a mother, and certainly not to a six year old child.

--- "This would be my daughter, Samantha."

He, as everyone she told, was shocked.

--- "You have a daughter? I had quite a bit of respect for you before, Ms. Davis, but I believe it's tripled. How exactly do you manage your time and still get wonderful marks?"

She took the seat offered to her and placed Sam on her lap. The child leaned her head against her mother's chest and used a pink flyer she held in her hand to cover her face.

--- "It's a bit of a long story Professor, which I would rather not get into. I guess the short version would be that I just got her back last night."

He smiled at the painfully shy girl who peaked at him from above the flyer.

--- "That's the shortest version of a story if I ever heard one, Ms. Davis. That's fine. She's a shy little one, isn't she?"

Alexis passed her hand through Sam's hair.

--- "That she is. Samantha, do you want to say hello to Mommy's professor?"

Sam raised her paper once again and turned to whisper to her mother.

--- "Do I have to, Mommy?"

Alexis smiled from the professor to her daughter.

--- "Well, it would be the polite thing to do."

Sam lowered her paper from her face.

--- "Hi."

Her voice was barely audible, but the professor smiled at her and handed her a lollipop.

--- "Hello little lady. Aren't you quite pretty?"

She took the small gift from the kind elderly man.

--- "Thank you."

Sam blushed and recovered her face. Alexis gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

--- "That's my good girl."

She turned her attention back to her professor who had a feeling that he was on the verge of losing a valuable asset to his team.

--- "Well, this is what I came in to tell you. Now that I have my daughter back with me, I'm sorry to say that I can't continue on the team—"

--- "Ms. Davis—"

She cut him off before he could attempt to persuade her to the contrary.

--- "I'm sorry Professor, but my mind has been made. I already have my internship and other activities, I cannot dedicate the time I need to my daughter if I'm busy preparing for the competition. It isn't fair to her. I won't do it."

--- "I thought you loved litigation."

She nodded in agreement.

--- "I do, sir, but I happen to love my daughter more. My life has been flipped upside down since she was dropped into my lap, but you know what, I'm loving it. She means more to me than any competition. Right now, my priority is her. I'm really very sorry, sir, but I simply can't stay."

The man was crushed. His team was due for a sure victory, their third year in a row; it was all because Alexis was on their team. Now, he was unsure of what he would do. Unfortunately, it was a decision he had to begrudgingly accept.

--- "Alright, Ms. Davis. As much as I will openly tell you that I hate your decision, I certainly understand it. There is nothing more important than your child and while I hope you'll reconsider, I wish you the best of luck."

She stood up and held Sam's hand in her own.

--- "Thank you for understanding, Professor."

Alexis walked out of the office feeling slightly less burdened than when she went in. She was grateful that she had freed up quite a few more hours of her days and weeks to dedicate to her daughter. The more time she was able to spend with her, the better.

As they walked across campus to the parking lot, she looked at her watch; it was already two in the afternoon. Aside from a yogurt and an apple, Sam had not yet had lunch. Alexis had a feeling that the child may have been hungry, but was afraid to admit it.

--- "Okay, sweetheart, are you hungry?"

Sam had never before been asked if she wanted anything to eat. Usually if there was any food in the house, Evelyn prepared it, and simply put it in front of her when she felt like it. However, when she decided that the child had misbehaved, the woman had no problems leaving her unfed; it simply meant more food for the rest of the family.

--- "I don't know. If you're hungry—"

Alexis stopped walking to bend down and look at her daughter.

--- "Samantha, if you're hungry, you can tell Mommy. It's my job to make sure you're fed. Do you remember what Mommy told you?"

She needed her daughter to believe that for once her life had taken a turn for the better. Alexis decided that if she had to continuously remind Sam every hour of every day that she would be well taken care of, fed, and loved, she would. She was not going to give up until the child believed her.

Sam silently nodded her head. Alexis passed her hand along her daughter's full cheek.

--- "And what did Mommy say?"

--- "That you would always feed me."

Alexis gave her daughter a soft kiss on the cheek before tickling the girl in the stomach, causing her to laugh.

--- "That's right, chipmunk. Now, is your little belly ready for some food?"

Sam bit her lip as she nodded her head.

--- "Yes, Mommy."

Alexis smiled at her daughter and took her by the hand as they walked toward her car.

--- "And what would my baby girl like to eat?"

The child thought for a moment; much like being asked if she were hungry, she had never before been given an option on what she would eat. This was proving to be a whole new world for her.

--- "I don't know."

Alexis buckled her into the backseat and smiled at her.

--- "Let's see; even though Cousin Stefan would disapprove, we can eat at McDonald's or Burger King?"

--- "What does disapprove mean?"

She walked around the car to the driver's side.

--- "It means that Cousin Stefan does not like that I like to eat what he considers to be junk food. He says it's a disgusting habit that I need to be broken of. But, you know what? I think I've thought of someplace that's really yummy that you might like. Do you like hamburgers?"

_**Flashback**_

_Sam had been invited to a birthday party of one of her classmates. While Evelyn hated the idea of sending the child to another's party, which would undoubtedly meant that money needed to be spent on another child, Cody thought it would be good to send Sam._

_--- "Ev, if we send her, that means that she can have something to eat there, and we wouldn't have to worry about feeding her. Plus, she could probably have some food to go if they have a lot of leftovers sitting around."_

_She crossed her arms in disgust at her husband who had not worked in weeks._

_--- "And how exactly do you expect that we pay for this brat we don't even know's birthday present? Friggin Danny has been playing with the same broken toys for the past two years! Thank goodness he's retarded—"_

_Cody hated it when she spoke about their son in such a horrible way._

_--- "Danny isn't retarded—"_

_She rolled her eyes and grabbed two beers from the fridge; she handed one to her husband._

_--- "Well, he damn sure isn't smart. I guess that isn't too shocking considering his father."_

_He sat down and kicked his feet back onto the kitchen table. It was quite remarkable that for a pair who claimed to not have any money in the house for food, toys and clean clothes for the children, there was always enough to purchase their cigarettes and beer._

_--- "Look, don't worry about the toy; I'll take the kid with me to a toystore and she'll lift one there."_

_--- "She'd better not get caught."_

_He took a sip from his beer and nodded at his wife._

_--- "Don't worry about her."_

_Evelyn rolled her eyes as she walked out of the room; he clearly did not realize how very little she actually did worry about the little girl._

_*******_

_When the day of the party arrived, Evelyn warned the girl that she better have her fill of food because if she was expecting to have a meal when she arrived home that night, she would be sadly mistaken. As a result, Sam ensured to eat as much as her tiny belly could fill, and then some. By the time the cake had arrived, she was not sure if she could eat another bite._

_--- "Here's a piece of cake for you, Samantha."_

_The birthday girl placed the piece of cake in front of the child._

_--- "Thank you, Ashley."_

_Hearing her mother's voice in her ear, and unsure of the next time she would have another meal, Sam ate every bite of the cake despite the sick feeling she had in her stomach._

_Evelyn arrived to pick her up, shortly after the cake was cut. _

_--- "Did you eat?"_

_Sam nodded her head almost afraid to open her mouth to speak, lest the food come spilling out onto the ground._

_--- "Good. For once, you actually did good."_

_Unfortunately, with each step they took back to their house, Sam felt her stomach churning. She stopped walking._

_--- "Evelyn—"_

_The woman walked a few steps in front of the girl, and was in a rush to get back to the house as she left seven year old Danny to his own devices._

_--- "Samantha! Let's go!"_

_The woman's voice was so shrill and loud that she scared the little girl causing her to vomit in the middle of the street, getting vomit all over her clothes and shoes. Evelyn was livid._

_--- "You greedy little pig! You stuffed your face so much that you managed to ruin a perfectly new dress and shoes. You wait until we get home. You just wait."_

_She took the crying girl by the hand and practically dragged her to the remaining three blocks to their home._

_**End of Flashback**_

Sam shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her hands.

--- "I don't know."

Alexis looked at her daughter through the rearview mirror. The child was tiny. Of all the people who met her that day, not a single one had been able to accurately guess her age. She bit the corner of her lip as she pulled out of the parking lot.

--- "Well, I guess we're about to find out."

* * *

She and Sam ate at one of Alexis' favorite diner's in town. She bought her daughter a kid's sized burger, fries and milkshake. Unsurprisingly, Sam ate every last bite and even playfully stole a fry from her mother's plate as Alexis had previously done to her.

--- "Hey! My little thief, eat your own fries!"

Alexis pulled Sam into her lap and allowed her to help her finish her meal; it was obvious that she had been hungry.

--- "So, I guess it's safe to say that you like burgers, huh chipmunk?"

Sam took a fry popped it into her mouth as she nodded to her mother.

--- "Hmm-mm."

She laughed at her daughter.

--- "And I take it you also like fries."

Sam turned around and smiled at her mother before taking a fry, dipping it into ketchup and held it up to her.

--- "Here Mommy, it's good."

Alexis smiled and let her daughter feed it to her. She gave her a kiss on the side of the head.

--- "You're right, baby, it is!"

Sam laughed as she sat with her mother eating; this was the happiest she had ever been. Never before had the child sat down to a meal with her adoptive parents and smiled and laughed like she did with this woman she had met only the night before. To the child, it felt as though she had known her new mother all of her life.

She lay back against her mother, as the woman finished eating her meal.

--- "Mommy?"

Alexis wiped her mouth and put the napkin into the empty plate.

--- "Yes baby."

She took another napkin and wiped her daughter's messy hands and mouth.

--- "I'm tired. Can we go home?"

Alexis smiled at the girl and carried her out to the car.

--- "Of course we can, my love."

Sam smiled, as her eyes quickly grew heavy upon being seated in the back seat.

--- "Thank you, Mommy. I love you."

Alexis was mistaken. Nothing was closer to perfection than in that moment. She pressed her forehead against her sleeping daughter's.

--- "You are my happily ever after."


	5. Returning the Light

Thank you so much for your continuing support for this story! Here's the next crazy long installment. I hope it was worth the wait because it took me a couple of days to write!

It's 4 in the morning, and I'm falling asleep here, I wanted to post this because I've promised several it would be posted tonight. I'll edit it in the morning. I'm sure you'll tell me if it's not up to par with the previous chapters.

Enjoy!!

**Chapter Five**

**Returning the Light**

While Sam was asleep, Alexis managed to quickly carry her throughout the kid's clothing and shoe stores, the toy store, along with the drugstore. Taking Stefan's advice to heart, she decided to also make a stop at the grocery store; she purchased several boxes of cereal, pop tarts, popcorn, canned and frozen foods that she was certain she would not ruin when attempting to cook for her daughter and herself. She was determined to make the situation work, with or without Mikkos' help; she would not allow the man to have any reason to doubt her abilities as a mother.

When they arrived home, Alexis stepped around the car to the backseat. She reluctantly woke her daughter so that she could more easily carry all the items into the apartment.

--- "Sam, honey, we're home."

The child rubbed her eyes. In her exhaustion, the word home did not register as the place where she had begun to find comfort and solace; not fully aware of where she was, she believed she might have been brought back to the McCalls' home in New Jersey. As she felt Alexis lifting her out of the car, Sam tightly gripped onto the woman. Tears filled her eyes.

--- "Don't leave me, please."

Alexis was shocked by how tightly Sam held onto her; in fact, in the child's need to ensure her mother's presence, by gripping her shirt she accidentally held onto some of Alexis' hair. The woman winced in pain as she attempted to loosen her daughter's hand.

--- "Sweetheart, you're hurting Mommy; you have to let go of her shirt."

As she came to realize where she was, Sam tearfully stared her mother in the eyes. She released her hold and laid her head onto Alexis' shoulder and cried.

--- "I'm sorry, Mommy."

The woman was at a loss for words; she simply rubbed her hand along her daughter's cheek as she leaned against the car. She knew she needed to calm her down before attempting to put her down, so that she would be able to carry all the items into the house.

--- "Oh chipmunk, I told you, Mommy is not going anywhere, okay? We're home, look."

She rubbed Sam's back willing her to look at her surroundings. Eventually when she had calmed down, Sam wiped her face and realized that she was still with her new mother and at her new home. She pressed the side of her face against her mother's as she whispered into her ear.

--- "I was scared you took me back."

Alexis shook her head.

--- "Look at Mommy."

Sam did as she was told and Alexis pressed her forehead against hers.

--- "You, my little pumpkinhead, are a nonrefundable item. There is no return policy on you. I will not let anyone take you away from me. Okay?"

She playfully rubbed her nose against Sam's, who despite her tears, laughed at her mother's silliness.

--- "Okay."

Alexis covered the child's face with kisses before putting her down and opening up the trunk.

--- "Do you want to help Mommy carry all of these inside?"

Sam smiled and wiped her tears. She nodded her head as she skipped toward her mother. Alexis handed her two light bags and carried the remainder of the items; she was grateful that the grocery store had delivery service as she had purchased quite a few things.

--- "That's my good girl."

When they entered the apartment, Alexis could tell that Sam was still quite tired.

--- "Honey, you want to sleep some more?"

While she wanted to tell her mother that she was fine, she had a feeling that the woman would read through her exhaustion and make her sleep. Because she was left to sleep on the rat and roach infested flood of the McCall household, Sam had grown accustomed to restless nights. She would sleep an hour at a time, until a bug or rodent crawling on her caused her to awake; as a result, she often found herself falling asleep at school or other places where she might be more comfortable than the living room floor.

She nodded her head.

--- "Can I go back to sleep, Mommy?"

Alexis gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead.

--- "Of course you can! Do you want Mommy to tuck you in?"

Sam bit her lip and looked at her mother, almost afraid to make the next request. Alexis saw the child's hesitation and held her face in her hands.

--- "What's the matter?"

Sam looked away as she asked her question.

--- "Can you… can you lay with me? I have bad dreams. You make them better."

_**Flashback**_

_It was Alexis' first night in the Cassadine household. Everything seemed strange to the four year old child as this home she was brought to was brand new to her, but everything in general appeared that way; Alexis could not remember anything that had happened the day prior and it scared her. She could not recall where she lived prior to being brought to the dark and dreary castle. She could not recollect what she was doing before she stepped out of the car that drove she and Mikkos through the gates of the Cassadine estate. In fact, Alexis did not even know how it was she arrived into this foreign land where they spoke a language she had never before heard._

_Helena, along with a servant, stood in the sparse bedroom she had chosen for the girl. The room was large and empty but for a bed, a desk, and a chair; there was nothing in it that would indicate that it was occupied or would be occupied by a young girl._

_--- "Alexandra is to be in bed by nine-thirty each night. I do not care if she is tired or not; she will learn to sleep at that hour. I will not have this child in my face one minute longer."_

_The servant, who was to be Alexis' nanny, nodded her head and quickly helped the child into the bed as Helena stood aside and watched the woman attempt to make the terrified child comfortable in the hard bed._

_--- "That is fine, Olga, she is not a porcelain doll. If she is to break, believe me, it won't be as a result of being tucked in poorly."_

_The woman gave the child a sympathetic nod, but dared not disobey Madame Cassadine, as the woman was known for her terrible temper._

_--- "Yes ma'am."_

_She quickly left the room, leaving Helena with the child. _

_Helena walked up to the bed with her arms crossed; she stared at the child for a long while. Alexis dared not return the stare; she simply looked down and away from the wicked woman. _

_--- "Sweet dreams, little mouse."_

_Helena turned to leave the room, turning every light off, knowing that the confused child would be left in absolute darkness as the room was located on the heavily forested west side of the castle overlooking the crypt. _

_As she closed the door, she smiled as she heard the young girl's muffled cries of fear._

_**End of Flashback.**_

Alexis playfully lifted her tiny daughter in the air and brought her down to her, planting a kiss on her cheek before resting her on her hip.

--- "I would be happy to, sweetheart. And you know what Mommy bought for you when you were asleep?"

--- "No?"

She reached for one of the bags and carried it into the bedroom with them. She set Sam down onto the bed and laid out several sets of pajamas from the fairytales in the new book Stefan had purchased for her. Sam excitedly jumped up and down on the bed.

--- "Thank you, Mommy!"

Alexis laughed at Sam's excitement. It filled her heart with joy to see the child begin to emerge from her shell and show signs of a personality. She poked the girl in the belly.

--- "So you like it?"

Sam could not contain her happiness over her mother's purchases for her. She jumped into Alexis' arms and gave her a hug.

--- "Yes!"

Alexis smiled and began to help the girl undress. It was only four in the afternoon, and they had evening plans with Stefan, but she thought Sam might enjoy wearing a new set of pajamas during her nap.

--- "So which one do you want to wear?"

Unsurprisingly, Sam grabbed the Cinderella set.

--- "These ones!"

--- "Okay! Put them on, baby girl."

Sam stood up on the bed and dressed herself as Alexis folded the other sets.

--- "I'm done!"

Alexis held her hand to the girl.

--- "That's my big girl! Now, let's go to the bathroom so we don't have another accident."

Sam's mood seemed to turn from night to day as she pouted. Alexis frowned.

--- "Hey! Where did that pretty smile go? Why is my chipmunk upset? Weren't you just happy?"

--- "I'm sorry."

Alexis passed her hands through the girl's hair.

--- "What are you sorry about? Are you still upset about having an accident this morning?"

_**Flashback**_

_Evelyn wanting to watch one of her stories, as she called soap operas, was fed up with both her son and adoptive daughter playing and laughing in the kitchen. She stormed into the room and took both children by the ears and pushed them each into a separate corner._

_--- "You two had better keep your stupid and filthy mouths shut! I'm trying to watch my stories and I can't hear it if you don't shut the hell up!"_

_Sam, being but six, seemed to enjoy waiting until she could no longer hold her urine before deciding she needed to go, felt the need just as Evelyn put her into her spot._

_--- "Evelyn, I have to use the bathroom."_

_The woman, unfortunately for young Sam, was unconcerned._

_--- "Well, it looks like you're going to have to make your bladder expand because you're not leaving this spot until my stories are over."_

_Sam felt the tears come to her eyes as Evelyn turned toward the living room._

_--- "Oh and Samantha?"_

_Just as the woman did not bother to turn her head to face the child, Sam continued to face the wall, choosing to not take the chance of upsetting her by disobeying an order to face the corner._

_--- "Yes?"_

_Evelyn stopped at the doorway, checking to ensure that the show was still on commercial, before continuing._

_--- "You had better pray that your piss comes out of your eyeballs instead of onto your clothes. I swear to you, I will leave you sitting in them for the next week until I drop you off at your mother's house. She'll see what kind of nasty worthless pig of a child she gave up."_

_--- "Okay."_

_Sam concentrated for the next hour on holding her urine, and prayed that the week would go quickly; she was sure that her new mother had to be better, even if she thought her worthless, than living with Evelyn._

_Unfortunately, Sam's brain and bladder failed to cooperate with one another. Along with a spanking, Evelyn kept her promise._

_**End of Flashback.**_

Sam tried to blink her tears away, but with each blink, a tear escaped and quickly rolled down her cheek until she was crying in her mother's arms. Alexis sat on the bed and rocked her daughter against her.

--- "Samantha, what's the matter? You don't have to be upset or embarrassed about wetting the bed. It happens. That's why we call it an accident."

The little girl sniffled and looked up at her mother.

--- "Do you think I'm a pig?"

Alexis knew that that evil woman must have installed such a horrible thought into her head.

--- "You are not a pig, Samantha. Even if you were, I would say that you're the cutest little pig that I have ever seen. And you know what else?"

Sam wiped her face, feeling better; in her heart, she knew that Evelyn was lying to her, but the reassurance from her mother put her mind at ease.

--- "What?"

Alexis smiled at her daughter and began to tickle her on the stomach, causing the child to squeal in delight.

--- "Even if that meanie Evelyn said that you were a pig, I suppose that means you're my little piggy. And do you know what THAT means?"

Sam giggled as she reached up to tickle her mother on the neck, causing Alexis to laugh with her.

--- "What, Mommy?"

Alexis quickly stood up with the child in her arms, playfully dropped her onto the bed and tickled her some more. She lifted Sam's shirt and blew raspberries onto her little tummy.

--- "It means I get to eat you up! Come here, my little piggy!"

Sam laughed as she tried to get away from her mother's ticklish grasp. She had never laughed harder in her life.

As Alexis watched her daughter smile and giggle, she decided that Sam was not going to be damaged or identified by a hateful name as she had been growing up in the Cassadine household. Alexis made up her mind to empower her little girl by destroying Evelyn's evil hold on her.

* * *

While Sam napped for the hour, Alexis took the time to clear out two of her dresser drawers, and folded the new clothes she had purchased for her daughter in them. She then put Sam's new pairs of shoes beside her own in the closet, and hung up the dresses Stefan had purchased, along with the jeans and overalls, she had gotten for her that afternoon; for whatever reason, she could never imagine the child in dresses every day.

In the living room, Alexis moved books off her bottom shelf and replaced them with new coloring and reading books. She temporarily put puzzles and toys in the corner until the toy box she had purchased was delivered. Because the only thing she knew for certain was that her daughter loved fairytales, she purchased items related to that theme, along with gender neutral toys that Nikolas might also enjoy (not that he ever really played with toys), while he and Stefan were in town. While she loved and adored her cousins, Alexis refused to allow her daughter to have an all work and no-play upbringing; her daughter was going to have the type of childhood she had clearly been deprived of while with the McCalls.

Finally, she went into the kitchen and stocked her empty shelves with the normal items: popcorn, coffee, chips and pop-tarts. She then filled them with other things she had not ever thought to buy: canned vegetables, Spaghetti-Os, Chef Boyardee, and the like. She bought a loaf of bread, condiments, cold cuts, cheese, and other items that made her kitchen cabinets and refrigerator appear livable. The only thing she was missing, which she would purchase the next day were pots and pans…. along with batteries for her fire alarms and a fire extinguisher.

After she was done, she walked into the bedroom she now shared with her daughter and watched Sam sleep. While most people would have found it difficult to suddenly shift and rearrange their lives in such a short period of time, Alexis welcomed the change.

_**Flashback**_

_The next morning, Alexis woke up in the large room almost unsure of where she was. Because she had been having memory issues stemming from a lack of knowledge of anything prior to entering the Cassadine grounds, she wondered if this were all a dream._

_--- "Hello?"_

_The room was so big and barren, it seemed as though everything echoed._

_--- "HELLO?!"_

_No one answered her terrified calls. _

_Not knowing what to do, Alexis stepped off of the bed and walked to the door. She opened it and stuck her head out, looking at the long and dark hallway._

_--- "HELLO?"_

_Still, no one answered her. She took a deep breath and slowly walked down the hall. She was not sure of where she was going, but she thought it better than staying in that scary room alone. When she finally reached a stairwell, she descended them knowing that she was upstairs, and upon hearing voices coming from below._

_--- "HELLO? Is anyone there?"_

_Mikkos and the family were seated for breakfast. He had inquired as to where the new member of their family was, but Stavros quickly informed him that the little mouse, as Helena had begun to call her, had told him that she was not feeling well. Despite not entirely believing his eldest son, and seeing the look of doubt in his younger son's eyes, Mikkos simply shrugged and read his morning paper._

_When they heard the child's call, he put his paper down and looked to his wife to handle the situation; the domestics were her domain. Helena annoyingly stood up and threw her napkin from her lap onto her chair and stormed to the stairwell where the little voice was heard. _

_Alexis stood fearfully at the bottom of the steps tearfully looking up at the tall woman._

_--- "Why are you screaming in my house?"_

_She spoke to the girl in Greek; a language the woman knew she did not speak. When she received no response, she repeated her statement again; this time in Russian._

_--- "Why are you screaming in my house?"_

_Again, the girl looked at the woman even more confused than before. Helena grew more annoyed; she spoke English._

_--- "Why are you screaming in my house, you ignorant little field mouse?"_

_Alexis wiped the tears from her face._

_--- "I was afraid."_

_Helena bent down to close to the child's face so that she could feel her hot breath and spit hitting her skin._

_--- "If you scream in this house again, I will give you something more to be afraid of. Now, get out of my sight."_

_The young girl smelled food, thus prompting her stomach to growl._

_--- "May I have something to eat, first?"_

_Helena laughed in her face before walking away._

_--- "Perhaps at lunchtime, assuming you decide to come down dressed and on time. Now, get out of my sight."_

_Alexis let out a cry, which she quickly stifled upon Helena's glare, and slowly walked the long way back to her room. She hoped she remembered the way._

_**End of Flashback.**_

There was nothing she wanted more than to have her daughter feel as though the apartment was her home, just as much as it was hers. Never again did Alexis want her to wake up from a nap unsure of where she was, or fearing that she was back with the people who spent the six years of her life abusing and mistreating her. This was her new home, and she was there to stay.

* * *

After showering for dinner with Stefan, Alexis decided to take advantage of the remainder of Sam's naptime to get some reading done for the following week's class assignments. She managed to get an hour of work completed by the time Sam walked into the living room. Alexis closed her book and put it on the coffee table.

--- "Hi chipmunk. Did you sleep well?"

Sam smiled and ran into her mother's awaiting arms.

--- "Hmm-mm."

She knelt on the couch so she was her mother's height and once again began playing with her necklace.

--- "And guess what?"

Alexis was shocked that it was Sam who was now engaging her in conversation, rather than the other way around.

--- "What, baby?"

Sam smiled as she held the necklace in her hands and looked at her mother.

--- "No bad dreams!"

There was nothing that made Alexis happier than to hear that her child had slept well. It had taken two months before a young Alexis had stopped having terrifying dreams that dead Cassadines were coming after her while she slept in the middle of the night. Stavros had made certain that every night, before she went to be, to tell her about gruesome deaths that occurred in the very pitch-dark room in which she slept. Every night, she rocked herself to sleep terrified to close her eyes for fear that the ghosts of the rooms former inhabitants might decide to make their presence known to her.

It was not until Stefan, silently hid in the room waiting for her and spent the night guarding and reassuring her, that she began to feel safe.

--- "Really?! Well, that is wonderful! That makes Mommy very happy!"

--- "It does?"

Alexis nodded and tickled the girl, enjoying the sound of her laughter.

--- "You bet it does! It makes me very sad to see you sad. So, when you're happy and smiling, I know that you're beginning to feel safe with me. And now that your bad dreams left you alone, it makes Mommy even happier because she only wants you to have good dreams."

Sam gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before wrapping her arms around her.

--- "I like making you happy, Mommy. And you wanna know why?"

--- "Why, chipmunk?"

--- "Because I think you're pretty! Pretty people should always be happy. Ugly people make people sad."

Alexis was in absolute awe of her daughter's talkative personality that afternoon; she reveled in her little voice.

--- "You are exactly right. You are my beautiful baby girl who makes me happy in every way."

Sam laughed before looking around the room and noticing the changes. She hopped off of the couch and walked toward the toys and books that were not there earlier in the day, unsure of which she should look at first.

--- "Mommy, are these for me?"

Alexis rested her elbows on her knees as she watched with joy as Sam slowly moved about the room.

--- "Of course they are. I thought you might like some things to play with."

Sam smiled as she knelt in the corner opening the box of legos, and looking at the dolls and puzzles. Her eyes locked onto a cute little bear whose arm was perched onto a box with cutouts in the form of shapes.

--- "Wow."

_**Flashback**_

_Sam returned home from school on her sixth birthday feeling quite happy because her teacher had gotten her a small teddy bear as a gift. It was the only gift the child had ever received since neither Evelyn nor Cody ever bothered to celebrate her birth. According to the woman, she had no desire to celebrate the birth of a child she had not been around to see come shooting out of some idiotic teen. _

_Danny, who had only broken toys to play with, smiled when he saw his sister come in with a new item._

_--- "Oh Sam, that's a nice teddy bear! Can I play with it?"_

_Unfortunately, the reason the boy had only broken toys was because he had a terrible habit of breaking them. _

_--- "No Danny, you always break your toys! This is special."_

_The boy, known for having tantrums, did not take kindly to the denial. He got up from the floor and tackled the tiny girl to the ground._

_--- "Give it to me, Sammy! I want it!"_

_Sam rolled herself into the fetal position with the bear at her core; she refused to let her brother have a hold of it._

_--- "I SAID NO, DANNY!!"_

_Evelyn and Cody, hearing the ruckus from the two children, tore themselves away from their poker game long enough to tear the two apart. While Cody, letting his cigarette hang from his lips, pulled Danny away from Sam, Evelyn forcefully yanked the tiny girl from the ground._

_--- "What the hell is going on in here?"_

_Cody, seeing that everything was all right, rejoined his friends in the kitchen, leaving his wife to settle the dispute._

_Danny pointed to the teddy bear._

_--- "She won't let me play with it."_

_Sam held tightly to the bear and shifted it protectively out of the boy's view._

_--- "That's because you're always breaking things! This is mine!"_

_Evelyn had not heard of the bear and was shocked to see Sam holding one. She grabbed it from girl._

_--- "Where the hell did this come from?"_

_Sam tried to take it back from the woman, but Evelyn held it in the air and out reach. _

_--- "From school! My teacher gave it to me for my birthday!"_

_As she continued to reach up for it, tugging Evelyn's shirt to hopefully cause the woman to drop the bear, the woman shoved her to the ground._

_--- "Will you stop?! You can run around this place looking like a pig if you want, but I actually want my clothes to stay looking as decent as possible."_

_Sam's lips began to quiver._

_--- "But it's mine. My teacher told me it's for my birthday."_

_Evelyn took a deep breath as she looked at the little girl who had tears rolling down her cheeks._

_--- "Well—"_

_She held the body of the teddy bear with one hand and the head with the other. She forcefully pulled until the head was detached from its body. She dropped the torn bear onto the floor beside the now hysterical girl._

_--- "Happy birthday."_

_She walked out of the room and back to the game._

_Danny crawled over to his sister sorry for what he had done; of anyone in the house, he was the only one who really loved Sam._

_--- "I didn't know it was your birthday, Sam."_

_She brushed the tears from her face as she looked at her destroyed teddy bear._

_--- "Me neither."_

_She moved away from him and sat in the corner trying to figure out how she would mend the innocent bear and make him whole._

_**End of Flashback.**_

Alexis walked over and knelt beside the girl who stared at the bear.

--- "You like it?"

Sam nodded her head as she reached for the bear, almost afraid to touch it. She looked at her mother for approval.

--- "Can I?"

She wrapped her arm around her daughter and reached for the bear. She placed it directly in front of Sam, and kissed her on the side of the head.

--- "Of course you may, chipmunk; he's yours."

Sam lifted the bear and held it for some time admiring it. She gave it a soft kiss.

--- "Can I name him, Mommy?"

--- "Baby, he's yours! You can do whatever you want with him."

Sam bit her lip for a moment as she thought of a name.

--- "Danny."

Alexis thought that an interesting name for a bear.

--- "Danny?"

Sam smiled as she stood up and ran to their bedroom to place the bear on their bed. Alexis followed, as she needed to bathe the girl for dinner. She watched as the girl happily crawled onto the bed and put the bear in the middle of the bed.

--- "Yup! That's my brother's name."

Alexis was shocked. She would have never thought that Evelyn would have any other children considering how poorly she treated Sam. She needed to speak to Stefan about this bit of news.

--- "Oh, so you have a brother?"

She opened her arms so Sam could go into them; without hesitation, Sam complied.

--- "Yea! His name is Danny and he's eight. He's my best friend, but he's always getting me in trouble."

She carried her daughter into the bathroom.

--- "He gets you into trouble?"

Alexis slid the glass door of the tub open. She sat down at the edge of the tub and began to fill it as she undressed the girl.

--- "Not on purpose, Mommy! Evelyn won't hit him because he's retarded—"

--- "Baby, we don't call people retarded. It hurts their feelings."

Sam bit her lip once more. Alexis put her hand on her daughter's cheek to calm her nerves.

--- "Its okay, chipmunk, I know you're not saying it to be mean. It's probably something you heard someone else say. It's just not a very nice thing that I don't want you to repeat again."

Sam nodded her head as she wiped a tear from her face.

--- "I'm sorry."

Alexis tickled her belly and smiled as Sam quickly regained her composure.

--- "It's not your fault, Sam. Now, guess what Mommy bought for you?"

Sam did not know what she had done to deserve as many gifts as she had received in the past day from her new family, but she was nonetheless grateful.

--- "What?"

Alexis poked the girl in her little belly.

--- "Close your eyes!"

The child immediately did as she was told. Alexis poured some of the contents of the bible into the tub.

--- "Open your eyes, chipmunk!"

Sam jumped up and down at the bubbles that filled the tub. She had always wanted to have a bubble bath like the people on television.

--- "Thank you, Mommy! This is so cool!"

She wrapped her arms around her mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek causing Alexis to laugh at her thrill of having a bubble bath.

--- "Come on Little Miss Nakey, into the tub."

Sam laughed as Alexis playfully swatted her on the bottom and lifted her into the bubble filled tub.

--- "And guess what else I got you?"

Sam happily splashed in the tub as she looked at her mother, wondering what else the woman could have possibly gotten her.

--- "You got me more stuff? You already gave me so much."

Alexis tapped her on the nose and brought a rubber ducky from behind her back.

--- "Well, if you don't want this, then I can take it back."

Sam quickly put out her hand to receive the toy. She smiled widely.

--- "PLEASE!"

Alexis sat at the edge of the tub and handed her duck.

--- "Okay! Now, will you be alright to play in here for a few minutes while I get our clothes together for dinner?"

Sam was so immersed in her duck and the bubbles that Alexis could have left her in the water for hours and it would not have made a difference to her.

--- "Hmm-mm."

--- "I'll be back in a few."

Alexis smiled as she shook her head and walked out of the bathroom. It filled her with joy to know that she had made her daughter so happy. The life she had seen in her daughter's eyes when she had held her the very first time was returning.

_**Flashback**_

_Sixteen year old Alexis had just spent six hours in labor. Her heart broke with every push of the baby she felt growing inside of her. Knowing that the baby would be taken away from her, almost as soon as she left her, the young girl almost welcomed the long labor. _

_The doctor had asked her if she wanted an epidural to deal with the pain, but she shook her head; she did not want anything that would numb what she was feeling. In any case, nothing could have been more painful than the thought of what was to come once her baby was fully delivered._

_When her daughter was finally out, they cleaned and wrapped her before laying her on her mother's chest._

_--- "Meet your Mommy, little one."_

_Alexis stared at the perfect creature she had created. She took her finger and passed it along her girl's cheek. _

_--- "Look at you. Your cheeks are as full as a chipmunk's. You're so beautiful."_

_She kissed the sleeping baby on the tiny lips._

_--- "I want nothing more than to keep you chipmunk, but I know I can't; you'll probably be better off with the people Cousin picked out for you. He promised me that they've always wanted children, and they'll love you. I know they will. Maybe not as much as I do…"_

_She heard her daughter coo as a newborn would; the sound put a crack in her already fragile heart. _

_--- "No one can ever love you like I do. I don't care if these people buy you every toy under the sun, they could never feel what I feel for you. [ahem] The pain I feel in my heart is like a bottomless pit. No matter how much anyone may try to make me happy, because I won't ever have you in my arms again. Only you, my little chipmunk—" _

_Mikkos walked into the room with the nurse interrupting her conversation with the child._

_--- "Alexandra, it's time."_

_She shook her head in disbelief._

_--- "But I wasn't done, Cousin! I wasn't done telling her goodbye."_

_He shook his head at the girl._

_--- "I'm sorry, but her parents would like to see her. We've allowed you an hour—"_

_--- "It has NOT been an hour!"_

_Mikkos pointed to the clock._

_--- "It has. Your baby was born at 7:23 a.m. It is now eight-thirty."_

_Alexis looked at the clock. He was right. It seemed as though time stood still as she held her daughter. An hour felt like a mere minute to the girl. _

_--- "Please, just another minute!"_

_He held the door opened for the nurse to leave with the baby._

_--- "You've had your time, Alexandra."_

_She disregarded the man and became hysterical as the nurse left the room with her beautiful daughter._

_--- "COME BACK! PLEASE!"_

_The baby began to cry a gut-wrenching cry, abnormal for a child so small. It was as though she knew she was being taken from the one person who loved her more than her own life. Hearing the child's screams, Alexis made to get up from the bed, but the other nurses held her down._

_--- "LET GO OF ME! I HAVE TO GET HER! SHE NEEDS ME! SHE NEEDS HER MOTHER! SHE WANTS HER MOMMY!"_

_Mikkos signaled to the doctor to give the hysterical girl something to calm her down. Being paid as much as he was by the man to keep the girl happy despite the situation, the doctor quickly filled a syringe and moved to the IV. Just as he was about to fill it, Mikkos stopped him. He walked over to the girl._

_--- "Alexandra, you will get over this."_

_She stared at him with a fire in her eyes._

_--- "Don't you dare tell me I'll get over this! I will NEVER forgive you for this. You've broken my heart, Mikkos."_

_She had never spoken so harshly or disrespectfully to the man. She was enraged that he might insinuate that her daughter was nothing but a lost toy rather than the one person, aside from Stefan, who might love her._

_He shook nodded his head to the doctor. The man immediately injected the sedative; her eyes immediately grew heavy. Mikkos passed his hand along her cheek._

_--- "Your heart will mend, Natasha."_

_Fighting the urge to sleep, she gave him one last glare._

_--- "My heart… it may heal… but it will never… be whole… without her."_

_**End of Flashback.**_

It was the little things, such as the girl's laughter, that eased her need to put a steak knife through Mikkos' heart.

* * *

At precisely seven forty-five, the doorbell to their apartment rang. Alexis put her earring on and smiled at Sam who sat on the bed playing with Danny the teddy bear.

--- "Hey, chipmunk! Cousin Stefan is here!"

Sam hopped off of the bed excited to see the kind man. She moved behind her mother and pushed her toward the door.

--- "Come on, Mommy!"

Alexis laughed and took Sam by the hand as they walked to answer the door. She looked through the peephole and smiled.

--- "Who is it?!"

Stefan put his finger on the hole.

--- "Cousin, you know what happens when you are late for a Cassadine dinner!"

She chuckled at his ironic humor. She opened the door and pointed a finger at him.

--- "It's very rude to make light of a horrific experience, Stefan."

He playfully grabbed her finger and smiled.

--- "And yet, Alexis, although it is even more rude to point, here you are doing so to your favorite Cassadine."

She gave him a kiss on either cheek and laughed.

--- "But, Cousin, I'm not pointing at this handsome little one standing beside you. HE happens to be my favorite little Cassadine man."

Nikolas blushed at Alexis' reference to him as a man.

--- "Cousin Alexis, I'm not a man. I'm a young boy."

She tickled him on the belly, causing him to laugh, and a kiss on the cheek.

--- "Nonsense, Nikolas! You're my little man."

Stefan held his hand to Sam, who held her mother's hand, happier than he had seen her earlier that morning.

--- "Ah, has our raven taken flight?"

Sam, without hesitation, released her mother's hand and gave Stefan a hug. She whispered into his ear.

--- "Hi Cousin Stefan."

He laughed at the progress she had made.

--- "Hello, Samantha. Don't you look beautiful?"

She quickly stood in front of her mother and wrapped her arms behind her and around Alexis' legs. She was not doing so out of nervousness, but simply because she preferred the comfort of her mother near her.

--- "Thank you."

He looked around the apartment and noted the kid-friendly appearance.

--- "My, Alexis, I love what you have done with the place."

--- "Why thank you, Stefan! Now that I've my little roommate here with me, I figured she might like a few things."

Nikolas smiled at Sam.

--- "Cousin Alexis purchased more things for you?"

--- "Hmm-mm. My mommy got me toys and books, and bubble bath—"

Nikolas frowned. As the heir to the Cassadine fortune, he was not given bubble baths. According to his father, showers were a necessity to remain clean and presentable; it was not a place for games.

--- "Bubble bath?"

She released her mother and ran into the bathroom. She quickly brought back the bottle.

--- "SEE! And she got me a rubber ducky! It's yellow. I named it Mr. Quack!"

Stefan was shocked at Sam's garrulousness.

--- "My goodness, who knew the... what is it you call her again, Cousin?"

Alexis and Sam responded at the same time.

--- "Chipmunk."

--- "I'm her chipmunk."

Alexis bent and gave her daughter a kiss on the top of the head.

--- "That's right, my girl."

Stefan laughed.

--- "In any case, I never realized she could speak!"

Alexis smacked him on the arm.

--- "Of course she can speak. She was just shy. Isn't that right, jelly bean?"

Sam smiled as she leaned her face into Alexis' leg.

Stefan looked at his watch and clapped his hands together.

--- "Alright, ladies and gentleman, I believe if we do not leave right now, we will arrive late. We must never be late for dinner."

--- "STEFAN—"

Alexis went to smack him again, but he put his hands up in defeat.

--- "I apologize, Alexis! How mistaken of me! It would only be highly ill-mannered to arrive late if the dragon were the main course. Unfortunately, that is not the meal to be served."

Sam and Nikolas looked at each other and made faces.

--- "That's nasty, Cousin Stefan!"

--- "There are no such things as dragons, Father."

Alexis rolled her eyes as she took Sam by the hand.

--- "Ignore him, baby."

She looked at her Cousin and shook her head as she spoke to him in French.

--- "You really need to allow this boy an imagination, Stefan. He's too young to not take pleasure in your ridiculous humor."

Stefan held the door open, with Nikolas by his side, for the ladies to exit.

--- "Well, I suppose that you will have to teach him."

Alexis frowned at her cousin as she handed him her apartment keys to lock the door.

--- "How? I don't see you two enough."

He winked at her as he closed and locked the door.

--- "You really are not very bright today, are you Cousin?"

Alexis thought for a moment and jumped in excitement. She released her daughter's hand, and wrapped her arms around his neck; she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

--- "I didn't think this day could have gotten any better!"

***************

When the driver pulled into the parking lot of Little Tykes Pizza, Alexis nearly died from shock.

--- "Tell me this is a joke, Stefan."

He laughed and shook his head.

--- "Who would joke about this?"

--- "You would!"

Nikolas looked at his father in astonishment; he had never been to a place such as that in his entire five years of life. In fact, Stefan had always turned his nose up to restaurants that allowed children to eat with their hands.

--- "Father, we're not really eating here are we?"

He smiled at his son's confusion, but delighted in Sam's obvious excitement.

--- "Yes we are, my son. I thought Samantha might enjoy it."

His instincts were right; the little girl was yanking her mother by the hand to leave the car as the driver had walked around and opened the door for them.

Nikolas sighed as leaned his head against the chair waiting for Sam and Alexis to first step out of the car so that he and his father could follow.

When they were seated, Sam leaned into her mother to question Stefan's curious behavior. It was nothing like what she had been told earlier.

--- "Mommy, I thought Cousin Stefan disapproves of junk food."

Alexis put her finger to her mouth and smiled at the girl.

--- "Shh, baby!"

Stefan tapped Sam on the shoulder. She smiled at him.

--- "You know, Samantha, I disapprove of your mommy eating junk food because she's soon to turn into a great big pumpkin if she does not stop. You wouldn't want that would you?"

She shook her head and looked at her mother.

--- "Does that mean that we'll have to carve you for Halloween?"

Stefan cleared his throat.

--- "If it were up to certain people—"

Alexis pointed her finger at him before giving her daughter a kiss on the nose.

--- "No baby. Don't listen to Cousin Stefan! He's being silly today!"

Suddenly, a waiter approached their table holding a large pizza.

--- "Here you all go! Enjoy!"

Stefan nodded at the man.

--- "Thank you sir."

Alexis shook her head in complete disbelief at her cousin's laidback attitude of the evening. This was nothing like the Stefan she knew. She mouthed a thank you to the man as she knew that he did not want her daughter, who had clearly never been exposed to much in her life, to be embarrassed at a fancy restaurant.

Nikolas, on the other hand, was still not happy about his father's choice of eatery.

--- "May I have a fork and knife please?"

Stefan nodded his head and called the waiter back to their table.

--- "I'm sorry, sir, but you've appeared to forgotten our silverware."

The waiter nodded and returned with four sets of plastic forks and knives.

--- "Sorry about that."

Stefan and Nikolas both stared from each other to Alexis and Sam who had already begun eating their pizza by hand. Stefan shook in disgust as he held the plastic utensils in his hands.

--- "Barbarians, I tell you."

Alexis laughed and threw her straw wrapper at her cousin; there was the cousin she knew and loved.

--- "Relax! When in Rome, Cousin!"

***************

After dinner was over, and the group was ready to leave, Nikolas tapped his father on the arm.

--- "Father, I need to use the restroom."

Stefan was not a fan of public restrooms.

--- "Can you hold it until we return to Cousin Alexis' home?"

The young boy shook his head. Despite his proper upbringing, at five, he knew nothing of holding his urine until he reached a more appropriate facility than one used by the public.

--- "I'm sorry, I cannot."

Stefan sighed and excused himself from the table. He figured it would be worse to allow the boy to urinate on himself than to use the restroom in a restaurant at which he regretted dining. Pizza was not a meal he ever intended on having again, at least not when made with substandard cheap ingredients.

--- "If you'll excuse me ladies."

Alexis smiled at her cousin's discomfort.

--- "Take your time, Stefan."

He scowled at her.

Once her cousins had left the table, Sam crawled into her mother's lap and laid her head on her chest. Alexis wrapped her arms around the girl and played with her hair.

--- "Are you tired, chipmunk?"

Sam's yawn answered the question for her.

--- "Hmm-mm."

She kissed the girl on the top of the head.

--- "Don't worry, we'll be leaving soon."

--- "Are we going home?"

--- "Yes we are. You need to go to sleep, and Mommy needs to do her homework."

Sam closed her eyes and nodded her head.

--- "Okay, but will you lay with me first?"

--- "If you want me to."

Sam sat up and looked at her mother.

--- "I want you to."

Alexis smiled and brushed the hair from her daughter's eyes.

--- "Well then, if it makes you happy, I will."

Sam stared at her mother for a moment and smiled.

--- "You make me happy, too."

* * *

Although Stefan offered to carry a sleeping Sam into the house for her, Alexis refused; there was nothing that made her happy than keeping the child close to her. For as safe as Sam felt in her mother's arms, Alexis felt better knowing that the child was with her.

--- "Here, just unlock the door for me, I'll put her to bed. There's something I need to discuss with you."

Stefan nodded. He went to put the key into the lock but realized that the door was already open.

--- "Alexis, stay here. I believe someone has broken into your apartment."

Her heart began to race. In the back of her mind, she knew that it was no break-in; she knew what happened and who was behind it.

--- "Oh God—"

Stefan stepped inside to find a man and woman flipping through the newly purchased children's books.

--- "Explain yourselves!"

He could smell the stench of alcohol coming from the couple.

--- "We've come for our daughter."

Despite his order for her to remain in her place, Alexis, hearing confirmation that her worst nightmares were inside, felt her legs move her to the doorway of the apartment.

Cody, seeing the young girl carrying a sleeping Sam, immediately stood.

--- "Ah, there's my baby girl."

* * *

_**I am going to warn you all from now: HELL (for those out of the loop, I'm in law school) recommences next week, which means that I've got a lot of reading to do before that time. This MAY be your only update for the week. **_

_**Once the semester has begun, I will probably (unlike last semester) be updating each story once a week. It really all depends on my schedule as I've a heavier workload.**_

_**So, I ask you to please be patient with me.**_


	6. Holding On

Sorry about that last super long chapter. I just couldn't stop! I hope it wasn't overwhelming!

I'd apologize for the cliff, but for those used to my writing, you already know that I'm really not. LOL!

UNEDITED

**Chapter Six**

**Holding On**

The stench of alcohol was heavy in the living room; it turned Alexis' stomach. While she was disgusted that not only had these people broken into her home, and had done so while intoxicated, her main concern was for the sleeping and emotionally scarred girl asleep in her arms. She stood beside her cousin, keeping one arm around Sam, and the other firmly holding onto Nikolas' hand. She looked at the two people who had treated her daughter like an animal for six years of her life and spoke low, so as to not wake or scare Sam, but sternly.

--- "I don't know what you to think you're doing in my home, but you're not welcome here. I want you to leave."

Cody stumbled forward, causing Stefan to step in front of Alexis and the children.

--- "Not one more step, sir."

The drunkard smiled and held out his hands as though willing Stefan to strike him.

--- "Or what? Are you going through throw that prissy handkerchief in your pocket at me? That's my kid this little girl is holding, and I want her back. My wife had no right to give her away."

Alexis was furious.

--- "Sam is NOT your child—"

--- "Well if she isn't mine, who the hell do you think she belongs to? You? Have you been raising her this whole time? Have you been busting your ass to make sure that she was clothed and fed?"

Evelyn sneered behind her husband.

--- "Of course not, Cody. The princess has been doing nothing but living in luxury, while her little brat—"

Stefan felt Alexis inch forward; he put his hand out to stop her from taking another step. He looked at the couple with a feeling of absolute revulsion.

--- "You stand here reeking of alcohol, so inebriated you can hardly stand up straight, and claim that this child is yours, and yet you have the audacity in that same liquored up breath to insult her? If you do not leave in the next 30 seconds, I will call the police."

Typically, a Cassadine would not have involved the law in their disputes; either money or a disappearance would have been used to solve the issue at hand. Alexis understood, however that if she would have any real chance of raising her daughter, Stefan was ensuring that it was done legally and without any likelihood that Sam could be taken from her again.

Cody, on the other hand, was offended that this man would threaten him with the use of law. The man had his share of legal problems and could not afford another dispute; especially not one out of his resident state.

--- "HOW DARE YOU THREATEN ME? THAT CHILD IS MINE!"

His outburst startled Sam from her sleep. At the sound of Cody's angry and drunken voice, she immediately became frightened. The man had never before hit her, but knowing that he was in her new home, a home where she was actually happy, terrified her; she knew that he wanted to take her back. She gripped onto Alexis and buried her face into her neck.

--- "Mommy, please don't let them take me—"

Although she spoke so softly that her mother could hardly make out her words, Alexis understood every word; they were the same words she was reciting to herself as a prayer to God. She spoke as low as the child just had.

--- "Don't worry, baby. I won't let that happen."

Evelyn looked at the exchange, knowing that Sam had awoken.

--- "Samantha, get over here RIGHT NOW!"

Alexis felt her neck become wet with her daughter's tears.

--- "Do not speak to my daughter. You have no right."

--- "The hell I don't! SAMANTHA McCALL! If you don't bring your ass over here this minute, I'll make you sorry."

But for the child in her arms and the boy whose hand she held, Alexis would have strangled the life out of the woman.

--- "Listen lady, there will not come a day when you lay one filthy hand on my daughter again. You have no idea to what lengths I will go to protect my child."

Evelyn smacked Cody in the arm as she laughed at the young woman.

--- "Do you hear this girl? She really seems to think that I'm afraid of her!"

Stefan shook his head at the couple's ignorance; they were clearly unaware of the power and influence of his family. He would not resort to using his Cassadine name until it was absolutely necessary.

--- "I assure you, if you are intelligent, you would do well by being quite frightened. Now, I want you out of this house. I will not repeat myself a third time."

Evelyn pushed Cody onto the couch and out of her way.

--- "I believe we already said that we're not leaving here without the kid! Now, get your ASS OVER HERE, SAMANTHA!"

Hearing the woman moving closer to her, Sam began to shake in her mother's arms until she felt a warm release, causing her to cry harder. She was shocked and mortified at what she had just done. She lifted her head to look at her mother with tears quickly rolling down her face.

--- "Mommy, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

She continued to scream her apologies as she once again hid her face in her mother's neck and held onto her mother for dear life.

Alexis, unphased by what her daughter's temporary lack of control of her bladder, shook her head as she glared at the woman who appeared amused by Sam's upset. If could have killed, Evelyn would have died a most painful death imaginable.

--- "You are a hateful human being, you know that? You don't deserve to have children."

Evelyn shrugged her shoulders.

--- "And yet, that brat in your arms is legally mine."

Alexis ignored the woman's statement, knowing that it was true. She needed to turn her attention back to the little soul in her arms.

--- "Baby, it's okay. Mommy's not mad. It was an accident. It's okay. Mommy just wants you to calm down."

Evelyn looked at Alexis and noticed the entire reason behind Sam's hysterics; she laughed hysterically at the terrified child.

--- "Look at you, you little pig! This princess buys you all those pretty clothes I saw in her closet and drawers, and here you go wetting yourself like an idiot! Even that retarded brother of yours is able to hold his piss."

Alexis was enraged.

--- "How dare you—"

Stefan attempted to calm his cousin down for fear that Sam might become more frightened.

--- "Alexandra, calm down."

She was so upset by the way in which Evelyn had spoken to Sam that she could no longer think straight.

--- "She's a little girl, who's terrified because all she knows from living with you is that she'll get beat for every little thing she does. You're an animal! Someone should take you outside and kick your ass for a change, perhaps you would realize that it isn't a pleasant feeling."

Evelyn scoffed.

--- "How dare I?! I'm the brat's mother—"

Alexis could not believe the woman's audacity to think that she was actually anything remotely close to being Sam's parent.

--- "You are not her mother! You've treated her like garbage all of her life. My goodness, she doesn't even call you anything but your first name—"

Stefan put his hand on her shoulder as Sam was becoming more agitated.

--- "Alexis, you have to calm down!"

Evelyn and Cody laughed at her.

--- "Yea, listen to your little bodyguard!"

Having heard the two mock her, she looked at him with the same fury in her eyes with which she had spoken to Evelyn.

--- "How can I calm down! This bitch—"

Stefan shook his head and pointed to the shaking child in her arms.

--- "Samantha—"

Alexis had tears rolling down her own cheeks as she nodded her head.

--- "Baby, I'm sorry. Mommy's sorry."

Sam feeling her mother calm down a bit, without moving her head from its buried spot in her neck, nodded to indicate that she had heard her.

--- "I'm sorry, Mommy."

--- "Baby, it's okay. I told you, Mommy's not mad."

Alexis turned her attention back to Evelyn who watched the exchange in silence.

--- "She's been with me and recognizes that I'm her Mommy. She's experienced more love in this house in less than twenty-four hours than either of you assholes have given her in the six years she's been with you. I'm her mother!"

The hateful woman rolled her eyes and laughed aloud at the last comment.

--- "From the looks of it, you're more like her john."

Cody slouched on the couch, unable to stand for fear of falling over. He watched the encounter.

--- "Oh come on, Ev, you scared her. Come on over here and sit on this comfy couch. We got nothing like this since we've been too busy taking care of Sam."

Stefan moved away from his family so he could more clearly see the drunken man on the couch. He was thoroughly astounded by the man's disregard to the verbal abuse his wife had just inflicted on the child, or to the obvious progress Sam had made in such a short time.

--- "That's all you have to say to her? Your wife just insulted Samantha, and all you're concerned with is sitting on the couch? You see this child, whom you're attempting to steal from the only parent who obviously loves her, and you sit your vile ass on my cousin's couch? You have your nerve, sir!"

Cody was furious by the man's intervention.

--- "Why don't you shut the f*ck up? What are you banging this broad? How is any of this your concern?!"

He picked up a book from the coffee table and threw it at Stefan, shocking everyone but Evelyn in the room. Nikolas was terrified.

--- "FATHER!"

Alexis squeezed Nikolas' hand and spoke to him in Greek.

--- "It's okay, my love. Father's fine."

The boy looked up at Alexis and leaned into her leg much like Sam had done earlier. Although repulsed by the overwhelming scent of the room, he knew better than to say anything more during what was clearly a serious adult exchange.

Stefan calmly picked the book up from the floor and placed it on the kitchen counter. He walked up to the man and grabbed him by the collar forcing him to stand to face him.

--- "You are the most disgusting of this earth's creatures—"

Alexis prayed that, albeit deserving, her cousin would not strike the man; she needed their hands to remain clean throughout this whole ordeal. She did not want anything to stop her from keeping Sam.

--- "STEFAN!"

Evelyn ran up to the men and tugged on Stefan.

--- "GET OFF MY HUSBAND!"

Stefan gave the man an ice-cold stare before shoving him back onto the couch. He looked at the woman whose fists were clenched onto his suit jacket.

--- "Madame, I suggest you remove your filthy hands from my jacket this instance. You cannot afford to repay me for damages."

The woman was so stunned by the insult she immediately released the jacket. She pushed Stefan out of her way to look her husband over.

--- "You okay, baby?"

He groggily nodded his head.

--- "Yea, I'm fine. But I might have a sprained neck from the way he threw me onto the couch."

Stefan and Alexis shook their head knowing that these two pitiful souls wanted nothing but money from them in exchange for Samantha. Stefan looked at his cousin.

--- "Yes, clearly it was I, not the amount of liquor in his system enough to set this entire place on fire if a match were struck, who caused his supposed neck sprain. It certainly was not his inability stand up like a man, and the numerous stumbles that we've witnessed here that had anything to do with this sporadic pain."

He turned to face the 'wounded' man.

--- "I'm almost certain that tonight alone, you have had enough vodka, gin, or rum to turn your blood pink. You have not yet seen what kind of damage I can do to you, sir."

Evelyn was astounded by the way the man spoke to her husband.

--- "Where are the cops? I want to file a report against you for assaulting my husband. And that bitch for kidnapping my daughter."

Alexis' mouth fell open. She could not believe what she had just heard.

--- "WHAT?! I DID NOT kidnap Sam! You left me a note, which I STILL have saying that you didn't want her! You dropped her on my doorstep. And from the looks of her body, that was probably the only good thing you've ever done for her."

Evelyn released her husband and pointed toward Sam.

--- "I don't care you say, I WANT HER BACK."

Her exclamation further terrified the already scared child. Sam began to cry harder, choking on her tears and spit.

--- "Mo-mm—my, please! Do-o-ont l-ee-tt them taaa-ke me."

Sam wrapped her arms so tightly around Alexis' neck that the woman felt as though she might choke. Alexis held Sam's arm and loosened it enough that her breathing was no longer constrained. She whispered softly in the girl's ear while rubbing her back in the hopes that she might get her own breathing under control.

--- "Okay baby, okay. Look at me. Look at Mommy."

Sam shook her head and kept her face buried in Alexis' neck as she cried. With Cody and Evelyn in the room, she could smell the familiar odor of being in their home. As they stood in the room undoubtedly watching her, all the memories of being beaten and ignored, the mice and rats on the floor, the broken toys and ignored birthdays crashed into her memory. She became inconsolable.

Alexis knew this. She had heard that cry before. It was the same almost clairvoyant cry her daughter had let out when she was taken from her arms and handed off, shortly after she was born, to people who would not love her the way she deserved to be loved. As she held her daughter in her arms, she knew that she was the only thing keeping her together; if she released her, Sam would certainly break into pieces right before her eyes. So Alexis did what only a good mother would do: she kept holding her.

--- "It's okay, chipmunk; Mommy's got you. She's not letting you go."

She looked at Evelyn with the deepest of hate in her eyes. She hated the woman more than anyone she had ever encountered in her entire life. She hated both Evelyn and Cody more than her disdain for Helena and now Mikkos. Her blood boiled with every breath that those people took in her home, on this earth. It took everything in her to keep her composure as she held the shaking child in her arms.

As much as she wanted to murder those people before her in cold blood right then and there, she needed to get Sam out of the room and out of her wet clothes. If she was not mistaken, the child's forehead felt warm against her neck.

--- "You know what? I think it best if Sam and Nikolas were out of the room—"

Evelyn attempted to move toward Alexis, but Stefan quickly stepped in front of them.

--- "Not another step."

There was something intimidating about the well-spoken man that caused the woman to stop moving. She crossed her arms and flared her nostrils as a bull on the verge of charging, yet restrained by the chain around its neck.

--- "Hurry up. We have a bus to catch."

Stefan looked at Alexis, then to his son who was clearly terrified, but afraid to show it. Just as Alexis previously did, he spoke to the boy in Greek.

--- "Nikolas, go outside and wait for us in the car with Peter. Tell him to take you back to the hotel; Aristea will take care of you."

He gave the boy further instructions and kissed him on the top of the head. Nikolas nodded his head and slowly walked out of the apartment to the awaiting car.

Stefan then turned his attention to his cousin and continued to speak in Greek.

--- "Go change your clothes and—"

Evelyn shook her head in protest.

--- "You need to speak English! There'll be no secret stuff in whatever language you're talking!"

Not wanting to seem as though he were plotting anything with Alexis, Stefan simply smiled.

--- "I apologize, Madame. I seem to forget in what company my family and I are. You must excuse my manners! I was simply telling Alexandra to clean herself and Samantha up, then put the child down to sleep as she is clearly terrified and distraught that two people are standing in this room threatening happiness."

As Evelyn was about to protest, Stefan continued to speak.

--- "Now, you will allow my cousin some time with her daughter. If you miss your bus, I will more than gladly pay for you to take the train to whatever rock it is you crawled out from under."

It was not a request, but a declaration for which Alexis did not wait for the woman's consent. She simply carried Sam out of the room.

* * *

Alexis closed and locked the door behind them and walked directly into her bathroom with the still hysterical Sam. She filled the tub and sat on the floor with Sam still clutching onto her.

--- "Chipmunk, it's okay, it's just you and me… just you and Mommy. I need you to calm down, okay? I need you to try and relax so we can talk."

After a few minutes, Sam calmed to a quiet sob. She slowly released the hold she had her mother and moved so she could lay her head onto the woman's chest; there was something about hearing her mother's heartbeat that soothed her.

--- "I'm sorry, Mommy—"

Alexis held the little girl's hand and gave it a kiss before kissing the top of her head.

--- "Shh, my love. Just… just sit with Mommy for a moment."

If she had attempted to speak in that moment, Alexis was sure that she would have turned into a puddle of tears in front of the already traumatized child. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts and to regain her composure.

She sat with her head resting against the bathroom tile. She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, feeling her tears escape and roll down her cheeks. As she sat there listening to her daughter's cries, Alexis felt a sense of despair fill her heart. She knew the law. She had no rights to the beautiful girl; they were long ago signed away.

This was her worst nightmare revisited. She had to fight to wake up.

--- "Chipmunk?"

Sam, blinded by her tears, but knowing that she was in the comfort of her mother's arms without Evelyn, or even Cody, to scare her, looked at Alexis. She sniffled through her hiccupped cry.

--- "Yes?"

Alexis wiped her daughter's little face of the tears and covered it with kisses.

--- "Mommy loves you. She loves you more than she can even express to you. Do you understand that?"

Sam could not understand how her mother could possibly love her after she urinated al over her. She was everything that Evelyn had said she was. She tried to move from her mother's lap, but Alexis gripped her arm.

--- "Samantha, stay here."

She messed up; like Evelyn said she would. She was certain that her mother thought lowly of her and would want nothing more to do with her. She crumbled into another fit of sobs and pressed her face against her mother's chest.

--- "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I messed you up! Please don't throw me away again!"

The last word was a stab in Alexis' heart. She took Sam's face in her hands and looked at her with an equally tear-stained face.

--- Oh, baby, I never threw you away. Only garbage is thrown away—"

Sam looked down as she continued to cry.

--- "I'm garbage. That's why you gave me away—"

Despite her hiccupped cry, Alexis was able to make out her daughter's painful words; they infuriated her.

--- "Samantha, you listen to me. You are NOT garbage. You are a treasure… my treasure. You are the most important thing to me. Those people out in the living room who've done nothing but make you sad all of your life, THAT'S garbage."

--- "But I had an accident on you."

Alexis passed her hands through Sam's hair.

--- "It doesn't matter. It was an accident and you were scared. Mommy will take a shower later; for now, she needs to get you cleaned up. Okay?"

Sam nodded her head.

--- "You won't let them take me, right?"

She kissed her daughter on the top of the head.

--- "I am going to fight for you, Samantha. I will not let them have you. I will do whatever it takes to keep you with me."

--- "Okay."

Alexis gave her another kiss.

--- "Now, we need to get you out of your wet clothes."

***************

After bathing Sam and getting her settled into bed, Alexis managed to convince her daughter to allow her to quickly shower as she not only had the child's urine all over her midsection, she also had her snot on her neck. She left the bathroom door open door so that the child could come get her if in case she got scared sitting in the bedroom alone, but with her teddy bear, Danny, she let her mother alone.

When she came out of the bathroom and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, she turned to face her child who tightly clenched her bear.

--- "Do you want Mommy to lay with you as you sleep?"

Sam nodded her head.

Despite the drama outside, Alexis could tell the Sam would fall asleep the moment she put her arms around her; Sam's eyes were heavy.

--- "Are you going to leave me alone?"

She walked over to the bed and pulled the sheets back so that she crawl in beside her tiny girl. She pulled the girl to her.

--- "I'm going to stay with you until you fall asleep, and then I'm going to deal with all of this."

Sam yawned and laid her head directly at the crook of her mother's neck.

--- "What if I have a bad dream?"

--- "Then I'll come back to you."

The little girl took a deep breath as she took in her mother's scent, almost attempting to make a memory.

--- "Mommy, I'm scared."

Alexis took a deep breath and kissed the top of her daughter's head.

--- "I know you are, sweetheart, but I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I'm your safety, and you're mine. I won't let you get lost."

Sam shifted slightly and a low snore was heard; as she had predicted, Sam was asleep.


	7. What She Deserves

Many thanks for your reviews and patience. You rock.

Here is the next chapter written over several days…

Partially Edited... I'm exhausted; I'll reread it sometime tomorrow.

**Chapter Seven**

**What She Deserves**

_--- "Wake up chipmunk."_

_Alexis was tickling her little feet in an attempt to wake her. Sam laughed as she attempted to hide them from her mother's grasp. She curled herself into a little ball and covered the bottom of her feet with the palms of her hands._

_--- "Mommy, stop!"_

_Alexis crawled into the bed and pulled her daughter to her._

_--- "Stop? Why would I do that? This is so much more fun!"_

_She tickled the little girl in the stomach and under her neck, causing her to squeal in delight; Alexis loved the sound of the child's laugh in the morning._

_--- "It's your first day of school, silly! You don't want to be late, now do you?"_

_Sam reached up and began to tickle her mother back, causing the woman to laugh aloud with her. _

_--- "But, I want to stay with you."_

_She lifted her daughter into her arms and carried her into the kitchen._

_--- "I know you do, baby, but it's only for a few hours."_

_She sat Sam on the stool, grabbed a couple of bowls and spoons, and placed them on the island. She then held out two boxes of cereal in her hands._

_--- "Okay, so which one are we eating today? Peanut Butter Crunch or Coco Puffs?"_

_The little girl licked her lips and smiled._

_--- "BOTH!"_

_Alexis made a face at her daring daughter._

_--- "Both?! I don't know how tasty that would be."_

_Sam bounced up and down in her seat._

_--- "Hmm-mm! It's gooood!"_

_--- "Ooookay! I'm going to trust you on this one, BUT if it's nasty, we're having brussel sprouts for dinner."_

_Knowing her mother hated the vegetable just as much as she did, Sam shrugged her shoulders; she decided to call her bluff._

_--- "That's fine! I LOVE them!"_

_She kissed the little girl on the top of her head._

_--- "Liar."_

_--- "Am not!"_

_She placed both boxes of cereal onto the counter before grabbing the milk from the fridge. _

_--- "Well, be prepared to eat them because I don't think this mixture is going to be very good! Now you pour a little bit of Peanut Butter Crunch into your bowl, and I'll pour Coco Puffs into mine, then we'll switch."_

_Sam nodded and grabbed her assigned cereal box._

_--- "Okay!"_

* * *

Alexis knew that she needed to get up and face the monsters that threatened her child's security. While she wanted nothing more than to pack a bag and run away with her daughter by her side, being a law student, she knew she had no rights to Sam. In addition, she knew that a life on the run was not the type of life she would have ever imagined raising the beautiful girl snoring softly in her arms. She would not dare offer her beautiful girl a temporal sense of security; Sam was worth more than that. She deserved more than that.

As she lay there holding Sam in her arms, Alexis could not help but feel as though she had failed her; if she had fought harder for her daughter, surely they would not be in such a predicament. If she had stood up to the man who never gave much of a damn about her, a man who never once tried to prevent all that had happened to her from the time she had moved into his household without a single thought or upset, she could have protected her daughter. If she had allowed her voice to actually be heard, for once in her life, her daughter would have known, from the moment she exited the womb, what it was to be loved.

_**Flashback**_

_Five months pregnant and fresh off her flight from Maine, Alexis walked, with Stefan by her side, into the library where Helena, Stavros, and Mikkos sat. Despite the physical abuse that had been inflicted upon her at the hands of two of the three people watching her every move, in that moment, Alexis had never been more terrified in her life. She knew with every step that she took into the large Cassadine library, the less of a chance she had to run away. _

_As she made her way toward the couch facing those people, Alexis realized the irony of the situation in which she had found herself: her child's life was at the mercy of people who did not give a damn about the life of its own mother. If she were not so terrified, Alexis would have laughed; this was yet another cruel joke life played on her._

_--- "Good Afternoon Cousin Mikkos, Stavros, Ma'am."_

_She dared not ever refer to Helena as Cousin; the woman made it quite clear that she wanted no familial ties to the young girl. As a result, she referred to the woman as nothing but Ma'am._

_Mikkos nodded his head to the girl in acknowledgment of her greeting. He watched as Stefan, ever the gentleman with his cousin, allowed her to take her seat in the facing chair, before sitting beside her. _

_--- "Alexandra."_

_Stavros feigned a cough, as he called her a whore. Helena pursed her lips and looked her up and down in obvious disgust._

_--- "I see the little bastard could not help herself but create her own bastard. Well, let me make this quite clear to you, Alexandra, if you think for one moment that we are taking care of yet another free-loading little—"_

_Mikkos shook his head and squeezed Helena's knee, indicating his desire for her to remain silent. He stood up and walked about the room for a moment thinking of how he would proceed. After some time, he cleared his throat as he prepared himself a drink._

_--- "Alexandra, I do not understand how an intelligent girl like yourself managed to put yourself into such a disgraceful position such as this."_

_Stavros, a hateful soul who lived for making the girl feel worthless and below even the worse degenerates in the street, interjected into the conversation._

_--- "Father, I think it's quite obvious; she is an ungrateful whore. Here you go spending thousands of dollars to send her to the States so that she could have an excellent education, and this is how she repays you. She is a dishonorable, unworthy, piece of trash—"_

_Stefan felt his blood pressure rise with each insult Stavros threw at the girl. He wanted nothing more than to stab the twenty-five year old mama's boy in his ice heart, thus killing both he and their insufferable mother; she would certainly be unable to live without her adoring son._

_--- "Why don't you shut your mouth you revolting son of a bitch?"_

_He ensured to glare at Helena as he stressed the final word. At twenty-three, Stefan was no longer the tortured and tormented child he had once been; he was no longer afraid of the people sitting across from him. While Alexis may have been bashful and shy in the face of such mistreatment, he could no longer tolerate it; he would not stand idly by as his dear cousin was insulted by two of the most detestable people he had the displeasure of knowing._

_--- "You have your nerve Stavros. You sit there, practically at your mother's breast and call Alexandra the most deplorable names no man, or woman for that matter, should ever call another woman—"_

_Helena stared at her younger son with a profound hatred. Every time she looked at the boy, she wondered why it was she had not aborted him the moment she found out that she was pregnant with him. _

_--- "You, of all people, you pitiful piece of garbage, have YOUR nerve. Your brother is more of a man than you will ever be—"_

_Mikkos, fed up with the fighting, took his glass and threw it against the fireplace._

_--- "Enough! Stavros, I want you to leave."_

_The young man would have argued with his father, but he decided not to bother; he had a new wife to return to._

_--- "Fine."_

_Once he was out of the room, Mikkos looked to each member of his family. He was quickly losing patience; he wanted this situation resolved efficiently and expeditiously. _

_--- "We are not here to discuss your hatred for one another. This is about Alexandra. I would like to know how this happened."_

_Alexis, aside from greeting the family when she entered the room, had remained quiet; she had learned long ago that her voice was worth less than the servants of the Cassadine household. Therefore, when Mikkos directly spoke to her, she was at a loss for words, so she simply shrugged her shoulders._

_--- "It was a mistake."_

_Helena jumped up from her seat and got into the girl's face. _

_--- "You better believe this is a mistake. It's one that we're going to eliminate first thing in the morning."_

_The color in Alexis' face paled as she protectively put her hands on her bulging stomach. The thought that she would be forced to give her baby away made her sick to her stomach; never in her life had she felt more love than with her baby growing inside of her. While Stefan loved her, it was not the same as the love she felt from her little tadpole swimming inside of her._

_The baby signified a person who, from its first breath, would look into her eyes and know that she would do everything in her power to protect her and keep her safe; that child, would be loved in a way that Alexis never was. In turn, she knew that her baby would love her the same. Regardless of anything and everything, her baby was her salvation. It would be a day of reckoning before she allowed the evil woman before her to destroy that._

_For the first time in her life, Alexis looked Helena directly in the eyes and stared defiantly at her._

_--- "I won't let you kill my baby."_

_Helena knew it was a mistake allowing the girl to be sent to an expensive boarding school in the States. In fact, it was a mistake to have allowed the freeloading waif into her home in the first place. As far as she was concerned, the girl was just as much of a mistake as the animal growing inside of her. _

_And now, sitting in her home, having been given all of the luxuries in the world, she had the audacity to not only speak back to her, but to do so in the most arrogant and disrespectful fashion. Helena was appalled and disgusted by Alexis' newfound bravado. She smacked the girl in the face._

_--- "We will not be forced to have yet another good for nothing bastard in this house."_

_Stefan nearly pushed the woman away from his cousin before she had a chance to assault her again, but Mikkos intervened; he pulled his wife away from the pregnant teen. Despite his disappointment in the girl, he never supported his wife's obvious hostility toward her._

_--- "Helena, that is the last time you will touch her."_

_In response, Helena glared at her husband for his interference with the discipline of the children in their home; this was always her domain. _

_--- "Excuse me, but this child comes to us pregnant at fifteen, with no job, and no money of her own, and now we're supposed to raise this thing for her?"_

_Alexis felt a fire burning in her at the insults being thrown against her child. Her child may not have had a voice, but she certainly was beginning to find hers._

_--- "My baby is NOT a thing! I never asked you for anything and I certainly won't be asking you for anything in regard to my child. I'll raise her on my own."_

_Mikkos held fast to Helena who threatened to hit the girl once more._

_--- "I would like to speak to Alexandra alone."_

_Stefan stood to object, but Mikkos shook his head; he had already spoken to his son about the situation. Therefore, he simply nodded his head, gave his cousin a kiss on the cheek before walking out of the room._

_Helena, on the other hand, was not pleased. She knew that despite his cold-hearted demeanor, her husband had a soft spot for the pitiful urchin. She would not stand for yet another mouth to be fed at the expense of her family's pocket._

_--- "Mikkos—"_

_He immediately stopped her mid-sentence._

_--- "Helena, I mean it."_

_While she was in no way a subservient wife, Helena knew when to leave well-enough alone. She gave her husband one last glare before walking out of the room._

_Once they were alone in the room, Mikkos made himself another drink before addressing Alexis who was sitting as quiet as a mouse on the couch rubbing her belly soothingly._

_--- "This is a disgrace, Alexandra—"_

_She shook her head in disagreement as she spoke softly to the man who took her into his home._

_--- "With all due respect, Cousin, but my baby is not a disgrace."_

_He was shocked that she would respond to him; it seemed that her time out of the country was changing her. He was not sure, at the moment, whether the change was for the better or the worst._

_--- "I apologize. I do not mean to insinuate that your child was a disgrace, Alexandra. It is the fact that you are fifteen years old and pregnant that is disgraceful. You are too young to raise this child—"_

_Her heart began to race in her chest at the thought that she would be forced to abort. She would sooner die before she allowed such a thing to happen to her baby._

_--- "Cousin—"_

_He put his hand up to stop her from continuing; he would not allow her new attitude to become a habit in interrupting him as he spoke. She may have been pregnant, but she was still a child; he was the head of his household._

_--- "Alexandra, you need to complete your education and make a life for yourself before you think about raising a child. You have too much to still learn in this life."_

_When he saw that she had begun to silently cry, he walked to his desk and retrieved a few tissues, which he handed to her._

_--- "I will allow you to have your baby, but you will give it up for adoption."_

_Alexis' heart felt as though it had been ripped from her chest at the thought that she would allow the child to live within her for nine months, and then hand her over to another person. She was at a loss for words; the only thing she could do was cry._

_--- "You will have other children. Giving this child away is the best thing you can do for it and for yourself."_

_--- "HOW!"_

_Mikkos cleared his throat and retook his seat on the couch across from her._

_--- "You will get your education and mature. Your baby will live with a family who can afford to take care of—"_

_She wiped her tears as she continued to hold her belly with her free hand._

_--- "Her. My baby is a girl."_

_He wanted to smile at the thought that she was having a little girl as it would seem to rewind the clock on the passed eleven years of her misery-filled life, but he thought better of the idea. He needed to remain serious._

_--- "It is too soon—"_

_She shook her head._

_--- "Cousin, I know this baby more than I know myself. She's a girl, and she is beautiful."_

_There was nothing more to be said on the matter; he simply nodded his head and took another sip from his drink._

_--- "Alexandra, your child will have a better life than what you've had. I know that I was not always here to protect you, and I do not know if this is why you have gotten pregnant, you wanted someone to love and someone to love you, but it cannot be this way. You are no good for this child—"_

_She went to interrupt again, but he shook his head; there would be no discussion on the matter._

_--- "You will continue with your education, and one day, by the grace of God, you will have another child whom you will be able to shower with the love you would have given this one. After speaking with Stefan about your condition, I managed to find a couple that will raise your child for you as their own. She will be raised and fed by adults, as a child should be. Her parents will watch her grow up, rather than grow up with her. The couple will love her the way she deserves to be loved."_

_--- "Please!"_

_He shook his head._

_--- "It has been decided. Now, you will return to your school tomorrow morning. I will ensure that the school knows that you will be taking some time off in the spring to handle this."_

_Alexis knew that there was no point in arguing any further with the man. Once his mind had been made up, his decision was unalterable. In five short months, the best part of her would be taken and given to someone else. _

_**End of Flashback.**_

He promised her that her daughter would be loved the way she deserved to be loved. The memory disgusted Alexis as she held Sam in her arms. This was the way she deserved to be loved. Any less was insufficient.

Mikkos handed her baby to people who did not love her child at all. She wondered to herself if this was his definition of what her baby deserved: an abusive, emotionally destructive home with two alcoholics. Regardless of what he may have thought about her supposed disgrace of a child, Alexis knew that her daughter was worth more than the people outside of her door.

She gave her daughter another kiss on the top of the head.

--- "You deserve to be loved more than anyone in this world could possibly love you. But, baby, of any mother, any real mother walking this earth, no one can and will love you more than I can."

Sam stirred in her sleep; she whimpered as she gripped her mother's shirt.

--- "Mommy—"

Alexis' heart broke at the realization that her daughter was having yet another bad dream; it was evident that Sam was calling for her help. She passed her hand up and down the child's back to reassure her of her presence.

--- "Samantha, Mommy's here with you. She's not going anywhere."

As she felt Sam's grip loosen on her, Alexis hoped that the nightmare had ended. She did not want her child suffering in neither her sleeping, nor waking hours.

--- "My baby girl, you are priceless to me."

She was ready to fight to ensure that the worthless trash outside of her room knew this.

* * *

_Alexis held Sam's hand in her own as they walked toward her school. Sam gripped her mother's hand tightly as they approached the doorway, causing Alexis to stop in her spot. She knelt down to her daughter's eye level._

_--- "What's the matter, chipmunk?"_

_Sam's little eyes filled with tears at the thought that she would be left alone with people whom she did not know for several hours. She was uncomfortable with the idea._

_--- "Mommy, I don't want you to leave me!"_

_She smiled at her daughter and wiped the fallen tears from her cheeks._

_--- "Sammy, it's okay; Mommy's not leaving you—"_

_--- "Are you staying with me all day?"_

_She gave her daughter a kiss on the nose._

_--- "Sweetheart, you know Mommy can't stay with you. She has to go to her own school. But listen to me; you'll be fine because you know what?"_

_Sam wiped the tears from her face._

_--- "What?"_

_--- "There's a bunch of other kids in there who don't know anyone either. You'll make friends, and soon, you won't need your Mommy."_

_Sam wrapped her arms around the woman._

_--- "That's not true! I always need you, Mommy."_

_Alexis lifted her tiny daughter into her arms._

_--- "And I need you, Chipmunk. And besides, I need you even more because you have to eat all the brussel sprouts at home for dinner tonight!"_

_Sam laid her head on her mother's shoulder as they walked into the school._

_--- "It wasn't THAT bad, Mommy."_

_Alexis tickled her daughter slightly causing the nervous child to laugh._

_--- "It was too sweet and just yucky! That'll be a combination we never make again,"_

_--- "Okay!"_

_When they arrived at the classroom, Sam gripped her mother more tightly. _

_--- "I don't want to go."_

_Alexis sighed at her daughter's continued apprehension. She did not know what else she could tell the child to put her at ease._

_--- "Samantha, we talked about this. You have to go to school—"_

_--- "Are you going to be here when I get out?"_

_She passed her hands through her daughter's hair._

_--- "I will be the first one outside of the school waiting for the cutest little girl to come out running into her Mommy's arms. Okay? Have I ever lied to you?"_

_Sam shook her head._

_--- "No."_

_She put the girl down so that she might walk into the classroom like a big girl._

_--- "So, I won't lie to you now, Chipmunk."_

* * *

Stefan watched the drunken couple for some time as they walked about the living room and dining area passing their hands all over Alexis' belongings. The mere sight of the couple enraged him. Aside from the obvious, their lack of concern for the child he viewed as his niece, there was something about the couple that seemed off to him. Their desire to keep a child they clearly had no money to provide for, along with their evident hatred, or dislike, for her, made it strange that they traveled such a distance to take her back. This did not sit right with the man; one would have thought that such people would be rejoicing at their unloaded burden.

--- "What is it you're after?"

Cody retook his place on the couch and smiled at Stefan.

--- "We want our kid back."

Stefan leaned forward to get a better look at the drunken man in front of him.

--- "No, you want money. Your wife came here with Samantha, saw her new home, and realized that this was a windfall for her."

Cody disregarded the man's inquiry. He looked at him in his custom made suit, shiny shoes, and perfect speech; he knew that every minute Stefan sat across from him, he was judging his attire. He knew that his bargain and thrift store jeans and t-shirt, his beat-up sneakers and unshaven face disgusted the man. In fact, Sam, having been with the people for just one day, was already given a makeover. As far as he could see, that little girl's family had pockets deeper than the deepest ocean.

--- "So, what is it your family does that makes them so… rich?"

Stefan glared at the despicable man as his suspicions were confirmed.

--- "We worked."

Evelyn returned his glare as she sat beside her husband.

--- "You hear that Cody? They worked. That's how they managed to get that platinum gold sticks stuck up their asses. We need to find us some jobs like that! Those plastic spoons we put in Samantha's mouth for the past six years were not worthy of her rich blood! It's no wonder she's such an ungrateful little b!tch."

It was as though she made such a disparaging comment for Stefan's benefit; she wanted to get a reaction out of the man. Stefan, on the other hand, refused to give them the satisfaction of angering him.

--- "I suppose it's a good thing Samantha is back where she belongs."

Cody scoffed as he began flipping through Alexis' law book.

--- "I hope she enjoyed her day of pampering because she's coming right back to New Jersey, where she belongs."

Stefan bit his tongue in response to Cody's comments, but would not tolerate the man defacing his cousin's expensive books with his grimy hands.

--- "Close those books, please. I doubt you will be able to comprehend anything inside of them."

Cody was growing fed up with Stefan's sideways comments concerning his and Evelyn's class and intelligence. He closed the book and approached the man.

--- "What's your problem? Huh? That kid is mine. I want her back."

The man before him had a slovenly appearance, bad teeth, an obvious dandruff; Stefan was disgusted that he had been so close to such filth a few minutes prior.

--- "Sir, I suggest you take a few steps backwards before speaking to me. The stench emanating from your body is disgraceful."

Cody's face reddened at the insult.

--- "You've got some nerve!"

He balled up his fist and moved to punch Stefan in the face, but being accustomed, thanks to Stavros, to fighting, Stefan ducked and quickly kneed him in the groin. Cody fell to the floor in pain.

Evelyn, shocked at what she had just witnessed, jumped up to his aid; Cody put his hand out to stop her.

--- "I got this, Ev. I don't want you to get hurt."

Stefan laughed to himself as he saw the man struggle to get to his feet. It pained him to think that Samantha had spent years with such pathetic people; that child deserved so much more than this.

--- "Yes, I'm sure you don't."

Evelyn, sober enough to realize that her husband was not much of a fighter while under the influence, disregarded his order, and moved to help him.

--- "Get up you useless piece of sh*t. You're embarrassing me letting this suit kick your ass!"

Cody glared at his wife.

--- "F*ck you b*tch!"

He pushed her out of the way and lunged at Stefan. Noticing the man's instability on his feet, Stefan quickly stepped out of the way and pushed him back onto the floor.

--- "Sir, I am trying my best to be kind, but you are pushing my buttons. You do not want to cross me."

Evelyn looked from her husband on the floor to the well-composed man brushing off his suit. She was embarrassed that her husband allowed a man who more than likely, in her mind, knew the meaning of hard work, humiliate him in such a way. She pointed an angry finger at Stefan.

--- "Leave him alone! We just came here for what's ours."

Stefan disregarded the woman speaking to him. Having grown up in a household where his mother took no mercy on his cousin, and certainly none on him, either, Stefan had no respect for such women who had the audacity to call themselves mothers. Despite this, he would have hated to verbally abuse her; unlike the man on the floor, it was not his style.

--- "Now, I suggest you remain on the ground like the piece of dirt you are, or have a seat on the couch so we can discuss how you will leave my cousin and her child alone."

Evelyn angrily shook her head in disagreement.

--- "I told you already that we're not leaving here without the kid."

Stefan watched as Cody slowly made his way to the couch; he was grateful that the drunkard learned his lesson, so that he would not have to touch him once more.

--- "What interest do you have in that child? It's evident to me that you hate her—"

Cody sat on the

--- "We don't hate her."

Stefan scoffed as he opened Alexis' cabinets in search of glasses so that he could pour glasses of water for these unwelcomed guests; he hoped that it might sober them.

--- "You have a funny way of showing it. What is it that makes you think you could take the child, drop her at Alexandra's doorstep, filthy and clearly abused, allow that young woman to care for her and bond with Samantha, and then take her away? I'm sorry, but I will not allow it."

--- "And neither will I."

Everyone looked to the direction from where the voice had come; Alexis had just stepped out of her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and approached the couple.

--- "It'll be a cold day in hell before I allow you to take my child away from me."

Evelyn stood and smiled at the young woman.

--- "Well, put your coat on, little girl, because that kid in there is coming with us."

Alexis was ready for a full-blown fight with the woman. If she had had anything in her hands, she would have used it to kill the woman who had pledged to take care of her daughter. As her mind went back to the memory, she became increasingly incensed; it was in those two reprehensible people her child had been entrusted. This was what Mikkos that her child deserved. The entire situation made her sick to her stomach.

--- "Who the hell do you think you are? Sam is not an object; she's a human being. She is a beautiful little girl who is sweet and gentle. She deserves respect, caring, and nurturing! My God, she deserves to be loved and not treated like a punching bag! What kind of person barters with a child for food?"

Evelyn crossed her arms against her chest and smirked at the young woman.

--- "I'm the woman who gave that worthless kid of—"

There was that word again. Alexis saw only red; she was on top of the woman within seconds. Before she took the first punch, however, Stefan was pulling her off and yelling at her in French.

--- "Think, Alexis! Despite how drunk and filthy this woman is, she holds the cards in her hands."

Alexis yanked her arm back from her cousin as she watched Evelyn drunkenly scramble back to her feet as her husband had done only minutes prior.

--- "The hell she does!"

She switched back into English so that the couple could understand her. She turned again to face Evelyn.

--- "As a woman, as a mother, and God do I say that in the loosest sense of the word, how could you treat Sam the way you have? She has bruises all over her, and flinches with every touch. You have my daughter so frightened of you that she urinated on herself—"

--- "And you! She's a little pig."

Alexis moved to smack the woman, but Stefan once again held her back. As much as he would have also liked to strike her, he knew they both needed to remain calm.

Evelyn, seeing that the young woman would not harm her, laughed and continued to speak.

--- "She really is a pathetic little thing, six years old, yet looks like she's about three—"

Alexis struggled in Stefan's arms.

--- "That's because you don't FEED her!"

Cody stood up to defend his wife. He would not stand for these rich people to insult his wife's mothering or their ability to feed their children. He worked hard for the little that was on their table, and would not have anyone think any differently.

--- "HEY! We feed her!"

Alexis was astounded; she could not believe the man would stand in front of her and lie to her face the way he just had.

--- "Are you kidding me? Your wife JUST said that Sam looks as though she's three! She is weightless in my arms. Her little body is practically emaciated because she doesn't get anything to eat from you people. For the first time in her life, she was able to eat without worrying that if she didn't clean after herself that she wouldn't be able to have a meal later! God, you're animals!"

As Evelyn was about to interject, Cody continued on with his previous statement.

--- "Look, lady, we do the best we can. While you were growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth, we were taking care of your kid to the best of our abilities—"

Alexis shook her head.

--- "By making her feel like sh*t?"

--- "NO! By showing her that she has to work hard for everything. Just because you ask for something, it doesn't mean that you deserve to have it that minute. We're teaching her the value of hard work."

Alexis broke from Stefan's grasp and walked up to the man. While he stood several inches taller than she, she was not in the least bit intimidated. In fact, coming from a childhood where she faced two people scarier than this slovenly waste of skin, she felt quite confident.

--- "You are a sad excuse for a man, you know that? In all the time that Sam has been with you, you've given her NOTHING! All these toys and books you see around this room, and the clothes that you obviously put your filthy hands on in my drawers and closet, Sam was amazed to see. You have made my daughter think she was not deserving or worthy to receive even the smallest token of kindness! The only thing that child thinks she deserves is a beating for sneezing too loudly! That's what you consider good parenting?!"

--- "I never laid a hand on Samantha—"

Alexis rolled her eyes at his defense.

--- "Wow, that must make you father of the year. You sat around and WATCHED as that BITCH abused my baby—"

--- "It wasn't like that—"

Alexis refused to allow the man to think that his actions, or lack thereof, were acceptable. Whenever she undressed Sam and saw the fresh and old marks all over her tiny body, anger raged within her; she wanted to kill the people responsible for hurting her child the way they did. And there they were, standing in her living room, attempting to excuse the hell in which they put that little girl.

--- "It wasn't like that? How was it then? Sam, in the past day, has told me that she's a pig, garbage, and is worthless. I tell her that I love her, and she doesn't even believe me! What kind of lesson did you think you were teaching her by having her feel so lowly of herself? You people make me sick!"

She then moved to Evelyn. She needed to get everything that was going through her mind out; she needed to have her peace.

--- "Alexis—"

Stefan moved to stop her, but Alexis put up her hands.

--- "Stefan, I just want to talk to her; I'm not going to touch her—"

Evelyn rolled her eyes.

--- "Yea, you'd better not!"

Alexis shook her head as stared at the woman for a moment. Of the two people, without question, she hated Evelyn more than words could ever describe.

--- "You call yourself Sam's mother but you ridicule and mock her. You beat her like cattle and refuse to feed her. What kind of mother allows her child to be so frightened of her that she cowers in fear?"

--- "One that demands RESPECT. That brat knows that she better act right or she'll get it from me."

Alexis stepped back from the woman before her hand, rather her fist, connected with her cheek. She had spent years living in a home where she was pushed around and beaten by a woman who seemed to hate her simply because she breathed. When she held Sam in her arms and felt her shaking in fear with each step Evelyn took toward them, Alexis was taken back to her own painful childhood; she would have never imagined that her own child would be subjected to such treatment.

--- "No, it's not respect you're getting! You're abusing her. And let me tell you something, you put your hand on my daughter for the last time."

Evelyn smirked at the girl's naïveté.

--- "Little girl, you've clearly forgotten that this isn't up to you. That kid, is ours and we have more of a right to her than you do at this point. So, call the cops, do whatever you want, but that kid is coming with us."

Alexis stared at the woman before speaking to her cousin in French.

--- "Call the police, Stefan. I will be damned if these people take my daughter from me."

Stefan nodded and moved to the kitchen, but was struck in the back of the head with a blunt object, causing Alexis to turn in shock at the loud thud.

--- "STEFAN!"

She ran to help him, but was careful to not turn her back on the couple. There was blood on the floor where he lay. Alexis was terrified for her daughter, and then for herself. Considering the husband's assault on her cousin, there was nothing to stop her from thinking that he might attack her as well, and then take her baby.

--- "What the hell is wrong with you!? And you think that I'm going to allow you have my daughter?"

Cody smiled at the young girl.

--- "I don't think you've much of a choice."

* * *

_When the school bell finally rang, Sam was overjoyed; she had been anxiously awaiting the end of the school day so that she could once again be in her mother's arms. While she liked her teacher, and found the other children to be nice, she missed her mother. _

_After the teacher led them outside, Sam saw her mother leaning against her car; she waved to her._

_--- "There's my chipmunk! Come to Mommy!"_

_Sam smiled and ran into her mother's arms._

_--- "MOMMY!"_

_Unfortunately for her, the person she had seen from a distance seemed to have transferred right before her eyes. _

_--- "Sorry, kid."_

_A new, yet familiar, sense of terror went through the child's body._

* * *

To her utter shock, Evelyn, who managed to sneak into the bedroom, in the time Alexis ran to Stefan, had snatched a now clearly distraught Sam from the bed.

The little girl reached for Alexis, but Evelyn smacked her hard on the bottom in an effort to prove her point: Sam belonged to her. She screamed in shock and pain as she continued to scream out to her mother.

--- "Mommy—"

Alexis felt tears well in her eyes as she saw her daughter scream out in pain; she stood, almost frozen in her spot. She was afraid to leave Stefan's side, but terrified and pained for her daughter.

--- "LET HER GO!"

Sam continued to reach out to the woman she had grown so attached to in the passed day.

--- "MOMMY, please!"

Cody yelled at his wife.

--- "Will you go already?!"

Alexis quickly ran toward the woman who was now moving quickly to the front door with her daughter in her vile arms, but Cody grabbed the young woman's arm.

--- "Sorry sweetheart, that's not happening."

She wrestled to free her arm, but despite his drunkenness, he was quite strong.

--- "Let go of me! Sam!"

He laughed as he hit Alexis in the back of the head with the same statuette with which he had hit Stefan moments earlier.

--- "No, no, no, little girl. I think it's past your bedtime."

Witnessing her mother fall unconscious to the ground, Sam fought harder in Evelyn's arms. She cried for Alexis in a strained voice.

--- "Mommy, you promised! You promised me!"

Evelyn gave her another hard smack.

--- "You SHUT up this instant! That little bitch does NOT want you; you're nothing. You're coming back home with us, where you belong."

The child was choking on her own tears. She found herself crying over the fact that she was not only going back with the McCalls, but that she had believed that a perfect stranger actually loved her enough to not lie to her. She cried because she allowed herself to believe in the words of a kind person simply doing kind gestures. She cried because she had allowed herself to think she deserved such a loving family.


	8. Heaven and Hell

I KNOW I've been neglecting LAEE, but bear with me, Annie (little orphan), the muse for this story, has locked Betty (Boop), LAEE's muse, in an impenetrable glass box… She will be freed, eventually.

Many thanks for your reviews and patience.

Partially Edited (it's very difficult to reread when you're chatting on twitter, lol)

**Chapter Eight**

**(H)eaven and (H)ell**

While Sam missed Alexis terribly, she also spited herself for allowing someone whom she had known but for a short time, to open her heart. But, being a child who had never experienced such maternal affections, yet having yearned for them, it was easy for the woman to make her feel at ease; as simple as it was for Alexis to love an innocent such as Sam, it was just as easy for Sam to love the person who made her feel worthy of such love.

As a result, she longed to be in her mother's arms; she would have made everything all better for her; this was not the way it should have been. This was not the way it was supposed to have happened. Everything was wrong. Alexis had promised her a better life, but this was not it. She lied to her and it hurt worse than any beating she had ever gotten from Evelyn.

Sam felt the tears rolling down her face as the fear of the unknown set in, but she could not. She let them fall.

* * *

Stefan woke up a few minutes later feeling as though his head were splitting into numerous pieces; he had no recollection of what had happened. As he moved to a sitting position, he felt as though the room were spinning around him. He recognized that he was still in the apartment, but noticed that it was unusually quiet considering the storm the McCalls brought in their wake.

--- "Alexis?"

There was no response. It was difficult for him to concentrate, but he needed to find a way to stop the room from moving. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before reopening them; he still felt dizzy, but it was certainly not to the extent as it had previously been.

--- "Samantha?"

Still nothing. He was getting nervous. He slowly stood up, using the stool beside him and finally the counter to balance himself so that he might not fall.

--- "Alexis! Where are you?!... God, I hope those bastards did not hurt you!"

Suddenly he heard groaning coming from the floor on the other side of the island. He slowly moved to the location of the sound, and found Alexis on the floor. He could not bring himself to go back onto the floor, as it had already been difficult to move to a standing position; it would not have been prudent to return to the floor. So using his foot, he carefully nudged the woman's leg.

--- "Alexis, you have to get up! I think they took Samantha!"

Hearing her cousin mention her daughter's name, she quickly stood up; any dizziness she might have experienced from the blow dissipated at the memory of her child being once again taken from her. She had to find her. She frantically paced the room in search of her purse and her car keys.

--- "Oh my God, Stefan, we have to go get her! We have to find her!"

Neither Alexis nor Stefan knew how long they had been unconscious, and therefore how long it had been since Sam was taken. The only thing that was certain was that the child could not stay with those people a moment longer.

--- "Alexis—"

She continued to walk back and forth from the living room to the bedroom. She had found her purse, and surprisingly, her car keys were still in it; she showed them to Stefan.

--- "Look at this! Those sons of bitches think they're smart! They didn't steal a thing. I guess they think we don't have standing to take their asses to court since Sam is technically theirs—"

Stefan leaned against the counter; he felt as though he might soon pass out again.

--- "Alexis—"

She was so frantic figuring out what her next plan might be that she did not notice that he was bleeding somewhat heavily.

--- "But they'll be charged with aggravated assault and we can probably get them on child abuse. There's no way a court of law will allow her to stay with those people—"

It took all of his force, but Stefan slammed his hand onto the counter to get Alexis' attention.

--- "Alexis! Stop!"

Cody had done some serious damage to his head. Despite how much Stefan loved her daughter, he would be of no use to either one of them, or his son, if he passed out, or even worse, died, in the middle of her living room.

Startled by her cousin's outburst, she stopped in her spot; she finally took notice of the fact that the back of his head was matted, and the collar of his shirt stained, with blood. She rushed over to him.

--- "Oh God, Stefan, you're bleeding!"

As she moved to grab a dishtowel to press against his head, she noticed the blood on the kitchen floor where he had previously lied unconscious; tears began to roll down her cheeks as she thought about her daughter who was currently with the people capable of causing such damage.

--- "If they can do something like this to you, what the hell do you think they'll do to Sam! She's just a little girl! We have to—we have to get her."

She grabbed the dishtowel and applied pressure to the wound in order to stop the bleeding. Being preoccupied with thought she pressed it against his head harder than he would have liked, causing him to wince in pain; he took the towel from her.

--- "Alexis, they won't do anything to her."

She did not believe him; the McCalls had just proven that they were capable of just about anything. They adopted an innocent child for whom they had no intention of caring properly, they physically and emotionally abused the girl, and then dropped her off at the doorstep of the one person who would love her unconditionally. Then, of course, less than 24 hours later, when the child had quickly acclimated to her new life, they decided that she was undeserving of such happiness. It was quite obvious that these people were unconcerned with anyone but themselves. Alexis was downtrodden.

And even if they had no intention of physically abusing Sam to the extent that they had struck Stefan, Alexis had no doubt that wherever those animals took her daughter, they were filling her with words of self doubt, and making her beautiful girl feel worthless.

--- "This is my fault—"

She could not help but feel as though she had once again failed Sam. She was supposed to protect her, and yet, there she was standing in her kitchen nursing her cousin's bloodied wound, while her daughter was only God knew where.

Stefan looked at Alexis as she wiped the tears from her face.

--- "This is not your fault—"

--- "Stefan! I stood there when I saw Sam in her arms! I didn't move an inch! I promised Sam, I promised her that they wouldn't get her… I will never forget the look of fear and betrayal on her face when Evelyn carried her out of here. She was screaming for me, and I did nothing—"

--- "Alexis, stop! What could you have done? It was obvious that whatever Cody hit me with he used on you, except perhaps not as hard—"

She shook her head in disagreement. Regardless of what Cody did to her, she should have fought harder.

--- "Stefan, she was beating her before she even left the apartment. I promised her that no one would ever hurt her again!"

Stefan took her by the hand and led her to the door so that they could begin their search for her daughter. Despite the pain he was in, he figured he would get treated after he returned his little "niece" to her.

--- "Alexis, don't worry—"

She pulled her hand from his; she felt as though he had just kicked her in the gut. She could not believe what he had just told her.

--- "Don't worry? My daughter is back with those bastards after I told her—"

She was short for breath as she attempted to hold back her sobs. With those three simple words, she felt the loss of the little composure she had managed to maintain. Stefan attempted to console her, but she backed away from him.

--- "No, I held Sam in my arms as she cried into my chest, and begged me to keep her safe! I told her that I would. I told her that I was her safety, and this is what happens! My goodness, she already has trust issues! This is definitely not going to help the situation."

She could no longer hold in her tears and despair; she collapsed to the floor as the thoughts of the hell Sam might be enduring flooded her mind. She felt as though she were crying the tears that her daughter was now afraid to shed.

--- "She wanted me to reassure her—"

Stefan threw the rag onto the counter and knelt beside his cousin; while his head continued to hurt, the dizziness had passed. He took his handkerchief and handed it to her.

--- "Lex, listen to me—"

She took it and hid her face behind it as she rocked back and forth.

--- "NO, Stefan! They're probably beating her as we speak. You should see her little body; they took no mercy on her. She's already the size of a three or four year old because they don't feed her… I promised her—"

Stefan knew in his heart that even if Evelyn had been so callous as to beat Sam in Alexis' presence, she did so to prove a point; she wanted Alexis to know that they could do what they pleased to the child. It was a tactic.

He took his cousin's hands away from her face, and replaced them with his own on either side of her cheeks.

--- "We'll get her back, Alexis; we'll get her back."

She simply sighed and attempted to look away, but he forced her to look at him. He looked into her red and bloodshot eyes; his heart hurt at the pitiful sight. There had only been one other time when he had seen her this… broken: after she had lost her daughter for the very first time.

_**Flashback**_

_He walked into the hospital room where he found Alexis curled up in the fetal position looking toward the window. It had been three days since she had been forced to give her baby away. Despite the nurses' efforts, they had been unable to get her to speak a word since awaking without her child in her arms or in the near vicinity. As far as Alexis was concerned, she had nothing to say to any person who had any role in taking her daughter away from her. The only person who remained on her side was Stefan._

_--- "Alexandra—"_

_At the sound of his voice, her eyes once again welled with tears; she rolled over to face the direction of the voice._

_--- "I don't even know her name."_

_He quickly moved toward the bed and sat; he pulled his cousin into his arms and held her as she cried. _

_--- "So, tell me about my little niece."_

_She looked up at him and smiled for the first time in days; only Stefan could ask her such a question without her heart hurting at the memory. In fact, only Stefan cared enough to ask her about her baby; Mikkos had seen how beautiful her daughter was, but nevertheless handed her to strangers; and thankfully, neither Stavros nor Helena had come into the States to visit. Stefan was the only person she needed; he was the only person she cared about. He was her safety._

_--- "She is perfect; an absolute vision—"_

_Stefan laughed as he readjusted himself onto the bed so that he could face her. Despite their closeness, having grown up in a cold and unloving household, he was never as comfortable with physical affections as she was; he credited it to her parents before they had passed away. He, on the other hand, showed his love for her in different ways. For that reason, he was over protective and providing in a way that neither Mikkos nor certainly not Helena was towards her._

_--- "Hmm, someone will be a charmer!"_

_Alexis nodded as she wiped her continuous tears._

_--- "She has silky black hair, and the cutest little button nose. Stefan, you should have seen her… Oh!"_

_She began to sob once more as she felt her breasts suddenly begin to produce milk; this happened several times a day. She knew that somewhere far away her baby was crying for her and hungry; it broke her heart, as there was nothing that she could do to help her. Her mood once again shifted; she rolled back toward the window, turning her back from her cousin._

_--- "Leave me alone, please."_

_Stefan kissed the back of her head and walked out of the room, making sure to stop by the nurses' station so that one of them might be able to help her._

_**End of Flashback**_

Alexis shook her head in denial. She could not allow herself to hope that she would have her daughter back in her arms again.

--- "She's gone—"

Stefan could not believe his ears; his cousin was never one to give up easily. If she had been the type, she would have never survived their childhood. He could not allow her to revert into a defeatist place. He had to pull her out.

--- "If you give up on Samantha, then you will have failed her."

--- "I already failed her!"

For the first time in his life, he was disappointed in her; this was not the woman he knew and grew up with. She was becoming a fading shadow of herself.

--- "Alexis, I have never known you to be a quitter. If you say and actually mean that that child means more to you than your own life, you will continue to fight for her. Don't you dare give up on her; don't you dare, otherwise you will be spitting on everything that I've ever done for you and you, me. That child deserves—"

She nodded as she continued to sob on the floor.

--- "She deserves more!"

He stood up and held his hand to her. If they wanted to get Sam back, they needed to move quickly.

--- "Exactly! She, my dear, deserves you."

* * *

As she lay on the ground, tuning out Evelyn and Cody's angry and slurred voices; the couple was unstable and intoxicated to the point of disorientation. She knew that she was in a far worse position than she had been prior to having met her real mother. Hearing them, Sam knew this disparate circumstance brought her into a lower level of the place she had so many times heard the couple send each other; they seemed unconcerned with her present state, but only of what could be obtained as a result of her existence.

As her eyes grew heavy, she wondered to herself whether Evelyn, by bringing her to meet and stay with Alexis, had done so as a form of punishment for something she had unknowingly done. If it were, it was by far, the cruelest she had ever inflicted on the child, as Sam's thoughts were comprised entirely of her real mother. At six, she was wise beyond her years and highly intelligent; she knew that this was hell.

_*****_

_Her seventh birthday fell on the same day as her mother's law school graduation. Unsurprisingly to most, Alexis, despite having had Sam fall into her lap, still managed to graduate Summa Cum Laude; she made her cousins and her daughter quite proud. _

_After returning her gown, she approached her family, who had been waiting for her outside of her office at the Law Review._

_--- "Where's my beautiful birthday girl?"_

_Sam, who had been looking at the program, had not noticed her mother approaching. She threw the program into Nikolas' lap and jumped into Alexis' outstretched arms._

_--- "Hi Mommy! Congratulations!"_

_Alexis lifted her little girl up, and smothered her face with kisses._

_--- "Thank you and happy birthday to you, my chipmunk." _

_Sam smiled at her mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek._

_--- "Thank you."_

_Having lived with the McCalls, she had never celebrated her birthday; according to Evelyn, there was no need to be reminded of the birth of a child she never wanted. In fact, up until the time she moved in with her mother, Sam had not known her own birth date; but for her teachers, she would have passed the day without any real knowledge that she was a year older. This special day, to be with her mother, was therefore a pleasant change._

_Stefan leaned in and gave his cousin a kiss on either cheek._

_--- "Congratulations, Cousin; I always knew that you were brighter than the lightbulb for which Mother gave you credit."_

_Alexis rolled her eyes as she put Sam down._

_--- "I thought you were smarter than to ever listen to that wicked witch of a mother of yours."_

_--- "Touch__é__!"_

_Nikolas fixed his little suit as he stood beside his father. _

_--- "Yes, Congratulations, Cousin; you have made us proud."_

_Alexis looked from the young boy to his father; she smiled and shook her head. For a child of nearly six, he was too formal for his age; she wished that Stefan would allow him some room to grow. Alas, the little gentleman before her was not hers to raise, nor dictate as to how he should be raised; she would have been damned if anyone did that to her, again, in regards to her daughter._

_She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek, ensuring to wipe the lipstick from his tanned face._

_--- "Why thank you, Nikolas."_

_Sam tugged her mother's hand._

_--- "Mommy, can we go now?" _

_She smiled as her anxious daughter._

_--- "So are you ready?"_

_--- "YES!"_

_Stefan interrupted._

_--- "Yes, we have wonderful reservations—"_

_She looked at her cousin as she took Sam's hand and led her into her office._

_--- "Stefan, if you'll excuse us for a few moments?"_

_It was clearly a rhetorical question as she closed the door to the office before he had a chance to respond._

_He looked at his young son._

_--- "Do you know what is going on, Nikolas?"_

_The boy shrugged his shoulders in a manner unbefitting of the well-polished young man Stefan was raising, but quite appropriate for a child who had spent some time with his precocious cousin. While he was not accepting of his son learning colloquial mannerisms, he appreciated that his son was beginning to show signs of a five year old, rather than someone three times his age. Stefan smiled to himself as he realized how wonderful of a decision it had been for him to move to the States._

_***_

_A few moments later, Alexis and Sam, dressed in jeans and t-shirts, emerged from the office; Stefan was appalled._

_--- "What is the meaning of this? It's your graduation day!"_

_Regardless of the honorable occasion, Alexis thought of no better way to spend it than with her little chipmunk; this was a "Mommy and Sammy" day of celebration. She passed her hand through her daughter's hair._

_--- "Baby, I don't think Cousin Stefan likes our clothes."_

_Sam laughed and leaned into her mother's leg. Stefan shook his head and pointed his finger at the woman._

_--- "What are you wearing? This is inappropriate! You've just earned your law degree! We have reservations!"_

_She always found it amusing how despite his shunning of the Cassadine way, he had remained true to his heritage of formality. As was their custom around the children, she spoke to him in French._

_--- "You, my beloved Cousin, need to take the stick out of your ass!"_

_He smiled and shook his head at her candor. He could not believe how much she had changed from the time they had spent in Greece. In addition, she had changed immensely from the moment Sam returned to her life; aside from school and work, she had become passionate about life. With her daughter, his cousin had found something for which to live._

_--- "Ever the lady, my dear mother raised—"_

_Had he not stepped back, she would have punched his arm. _

_--- "That witch did NOT raise me, Stefan!"_

_He chuckled as he took his son's hand into his own._

_--- "Come, Nikolas. It appears that Cousin Alexis is off to mingle amongst the masses, instead of enjoying a pleasant meal with her favorite family members."_

_Sam tapped Stefan on the leg. _

_--- "Cousin?"_

_He bent down to her level._

_--- "Yes raven?"_

_--- "Why do you have a stick?"_

_He blushed for a moment before he realized what had happened. He looked up her mother._

_--- "Someone has been teaching this little one our secret language! How will we talk about them now?"_

_--- "First, I never talk about my little munchkin—"_

_Alexis lifted Sam into her arms and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was true; she had been teaching her daughter French. In fact, she would speak to her for portions of the day in only the language, and had purchased bedtime stories for her in French. In the same respects her young cousin had been given the opportunity to learn several languages at a young age, she did not want her daughter deprived of what she would have known had she not been stolen from her._

_--- "Secondly, French is not secretive; many people speak it. And thirdly, I can't help that my baby is as intelligent as her mother; she learns things quickly. Isn't that right chipmunk?"_

_Sam laughed and put her head on her mother's shoulder. _

_Stefan gave Alexis a kiss goodbye and poked Sam in the side and spoke to her in French._

_--- "Goodbye, Raven. I hope whatever you two decide to do with your day, you enjoy it."_

_She shyly replied back in French._

_--- "Thank you, Cousin."_

_When Stefan and Nikolas left, Alexis picked up her purse and walked with her daughter still in her arms._

_--- "So, what do you want to do first, cabbage-face?"_

_Sam thought for a moment about the things she and her mother had previously discussed for the day; she had more options than she had ever thought possible._

_--- "Um… Swimming?"_

_Now that the weather was getting warmer, the little girl who attempted to swim in their bathtub wanted a shot at a big pool; there was something about the activity that intrigued her. Swimming was freeing as your body felt weightless as it was submerged in the water… at least that's how she felt in the tub. Alexis smiled and nodded as she put her in the backseat._

_--- "Well, it is your birthday! Anything for you."_

_***_

_After changing into the swimsuits Alexis had purchased for them, they made their way to the pool. Seeing the size, Sam immediately became frightened; she tightened her grip on her mother's hand._

_--- "What's the matter, baby?"_

_She bit her lip and looked up at her mother, then to the pool, before leaning into her mother._

_--- "It's big. It's not like home."_

_Alexis knelt in front of her daughter._

_--- "Yea, Sammy, it's big; it's a pool. A lot of people swim in it. We only have a bathtub; it's not meant to be swum in like you try to do, silly goose."_

_Sam buried her face in her mother's shoulder._

_--- "You're not going to leave me, right?"_

_She lifted the girl up, and walked closer to the pool and sat on a deck chair poolside._

_--- "Mommy will never leave you."_

_--- "I'm scared."_

_Alexis gave her a kiss on the top of the head and smiled._

_--- "What's there to be afraid of? I'm here with you, chipmunk! I'm not going anywhere."_

_Sam sat up in her mother's lap and looked her directly in the eyes._

_--- "You won't let me die?"_

_She made a face at her daughter; she noticed that her eyes were filling with tears. She pressed her forehead to Sam's forehead; she closed her eyes for a moment before speaking as her heart had begun to race._

_--- "Why would you ask me something like that? Baby, I would never let anything like that happen to you."_

_Sam felt a tear roll down her cheek._

_--- "Okay."_

_She crawled off of her mother's lap and walked toward the deep end of the pool. _

_--- "Sam?"_

_It was as though the child was possessed; she did not hear her as she finally reached the end. Alexis grew worried, but she felt as though her feet were cemented to the ground._

_--- "Samantha! Come to Mommy, this instant!"_

_She looked at her mother and back to the pool. She took a deep breath._

_--- "Prove it."_

_Although she whispered from across the pool, Alexis heard her as though she were sitting in front of her. She anticipated her daughter's move before it happened._

_--- "SAMANTHA!"_

_As Sam jumped into the pool, Alexis freed her legs from the cement and jumped into the water from the opposite end after her. She had to save her. She had to save her daughter's life._

_--- "Mommy's coming! Mommy's coming for you!"_

_Sam began losing her breath. She prayed her mother would come for her. She needed her mother to save her._

_****_

As Sam lay on the cold ground unable to move and in pain, she prayed that her mother would do as she had promised; she needed her mother to help her. As she lay in and out of consciousness, hearing a single car pass every few minutes, she realized that only her mother could take her to Heaven.

* * *

Alexis took Stefan's hand and allowed him to help her up from the floor. As distraught as she may have been, she could never let her daughter stay with those animals.

--- "Okay. I think we should call the cops."

Stefan shook his head.

--- "No. We're doing this our way—"

Before Alexis had a chance to argue, her cell began to ring. She looked at Stefan.

--- "It's not good—"

He reached for the phone, but she shifted it from his reach. Her heart raced, but she knew that she it was up to her to answer the call. She took a deep breath and answered.

--- "Hello?"

* * *

**Our plane is gaining altitude… Please buckle your seatbelts as we've a ways to go.**

**If you're confused (you SHOULD be), it'll all be explained next chapter… If you're not, go back to the final lines in Sam's section.**


	9. Immortalized Rebirth

Okay, this is now edited (hopefully I got everything).

Remember to forget everything that you know about Alexis...

Thanks for the reviews; keep them coming!

**Chapter Nine**

**Immortalized Rebirth**

Sam sat in the back seat of the car suffocating from the stench of the strong liquor that Evelyn and Cody had consumed prior to taking her away from her mother. The car's movement and the smell emanating from their bodies turned the little girl's stomach; as sick as she felt, she was terrified of what might be done to her if she expelled the contents of her stomach as Cody erratically drove down the busy street. Nonetheless, if she did not say anything, she would certainly vomit all over herself in the backseat of whoever's car it was they were riding.

--- "Can you… Can you open the window… please?"

Her voice was low, but considering the silence that filled the car, it was well heard. Evelyn was shocked to hear the child speaking; she had trained her in her six years to speak only when spoken to. She turned around with a glare that would scare even the most ferocious beast in the jungle.

--- "WHAT did you say?!"

Sam noticed the look the woman had given her; it was one that she had seen daily for as long as she was cognizant of those around her. She immediately averted her eyes.

--- "Nothing."

Unfortunately, looking away from the awaiting predator does not remove one from its line of target. Evelyn was that predator, while Sam was her prey; she reached back and smacked the child hard in the face causing her to hit her head against the door.

--- "Who the HELL do you think you are, you little bitch?! One day with that little princess and you've gotten spoiled and lost your manners? You better believe I'll beat it back into you!"

Sam's eyes filled with tears, but she refused to allow the woman to make her cry. As downtrodden as she may have felt by having been taken from Alexis, something in her would not allow her to give up on the woman who had so solemnly promised to fight for her from hell and back. Despite how much she wanted to doubt the kind stranger's words, there had to be truth in her words; why would she promise her all of those things if she did not mean it. Why would she lift her up only to watch her fall back down? Alexis did not know well enough to want to hurt her like that. She would not do that to her. She loved her. That was what she said.

Sam bit her lip and swallowed hard attempting to swallow to bring down the vomit that was burning her esophagus. She wiped her escaping tears.

--- "I'm sorry."

Her voice was still quite low as she apologized. She did not know what she was apologizing for, but she knew that if she did not, Evelyn was certain to hit her once again.

The hateful woman turned around and shot her a threatening look.

--- "You damn right you are. Now sit there and keep your God damned mouth shut, or I'll shut it for you!"

Cody grabbed his wife by the arm; he did not like that she was scolding the child… especially not when he was driving.

--- "Will you leave her alone, Ev?"

Evelyn turned back around to pay attention to the road as Cody was weaving in and out of traffic. He was quite drunk, certainly more drunk than she, but he had refused to allow her to take the wheel as the car belonged to his friend. Yes, they had told Alexis and Stefan that they arrived by bus, but they certainly had no intention of clueing the princess and her protector as to where they were truly living, with whom, and how they had arrived; as far as they were concerned, it was none of their concern. The drunken couple cared about one thing: retrieving their golden egg.

--- "Why don't you watch out before you get us killed, you idiot?"

It was true, he was having a difficult time keeping the car straight; from what he could tell, the lights blurred, and the lines on the street moved in circles. He was unsure of which way was left, which was right, when the light was green, or when it was red; nothing made sense, but he knew that he could not stop.

--- "Evelyn, you need to keep your mouth shut! I'm trying to concentrate here!"

--- "Don't hurt yourself doing that! Now keep the car straight before a cop comes after us!"

Luckily it was about ten at night in New Haven; there were not many people on the road. He, however was getting annoyed with his wife's constant nagging and screaming.

--- "SHUT UP! Okay?! If a cop was gonna come after us, the would've been here already."

Sam closed her eyes as she sat in the back hoping to drown out the sounds; she thought about her Alexis. That helped her. She thought about her mother's smile; her scent; her laughter. As the flashing lights approached the vehicle, she thought about how safe she felt with the woman.

**_Flashback_**

_--- "Twenty minutes!"_

_Stefan smiled at her new mother, who was dressed in her towel, as she held Sam's little hand as they walked out of the living room. Alexis had just told her that they were her family as well, but having only just met this woman, Sam knew that she was all the family she needed. _

_--- "Do they live here?"_

_Alexis looked down at her daughter as she emptied the contents of the bag onto the sheet-less bed, grateful for the pretty outfits Stefan had purchased for Sam._

_--- "Unfortunately, they don't baby; they live in Greece."_

_Sam continued to stick like glue to the woman._

_--- "You want them to?"_

_She tightened her towel around herself as she knelt down to her petite daughter._

_--- "You know, I wouldn't mind that one bit."_

_--- "Why?"_

_Sam immediately began to once again play with her mother's necklace._

_--- "Well, because it's lonely sometime being here all alone. Stefan is my only family—"_

_Sam released the necklace and looked to the floor; Alexis tapped her little chin._

_--- "What's the matter, chipmunk?"_

_Tears filled the little girl's eyes as she quietly replied._

_--- "I get lonely too; I don't have any family."_

_Despite knowing that the people who were supposed to have protected her child had instead abused her, Alexis found it odd that a small child could feel as though she did not have a family. She assumed that regardless of the hardships inflicted upon Sam, she being a child, was not only stronger than given credit for, would consider the McCalls her family; children tended to be quite forgiving of their aggressors._

_She wiped the tears that had begun to roll down her daughter's chubby cheeks._

_--- "Let me tell you something, Samantha; you DO have a family."_

_Sam looked deep into her new mother's eyes unsure if she should believe anything that she was being told._

_--- "I do?"_

_Alexis nodded her head as she blinked her tears away._

_--- "I'm your family; Stefan and Nikolas too. We're a family. We're here; we'll never leave you."_

_The little girl shook her head; it was too much for her little mind to handle._

_--- "Can I just take my bath please… Mommy?"_

_Alexis took a deep breath and nodded. She stood up and held her hand out for her daughter to take._

_--- "Of course you may, sweetheart."_

_When they entered the bathroom, she began filling the tub. She undressed her tiny girl, wondering how long it would take her to put some meat on her bones. It felt like a stab in the heart every time she saw the child undressed; what kind of monsters would leave a child so hungry to the point of emaciation._

_--- "Okay, hop in there, chipmunk."_

_She knew she told her cousin that they would be out in twenty minutes, but there was something about the water that she could tell fascinated her daughter. As she quickly removed her towel and changed into a robe, she watched Sam stick her hand under the water and bring it back to the surface._

_--- "Baby, are you okay?"_

_Sam looked at her mother and nodded._

_--- "I like it."_

_Alexis turned off the faucet when the water was filled._

_--- "You like the water?"_

_The little girl smiled slightly as she cupped water into her little hands and brought it to her face._

_--- "It's so clean. It makes me feel good."_

_The young woman grabbed a washcloth and squirted gel onto it as she sat on the edge of the tub._

_--- "Stand up, chipmunk."_

_Sam did as she was told. Alexis began to wash her little arms._

_--- "You know, Sam, water is a sign of birth—"_

_Undoubtedly, the child gave her mother a puzzled look which caused Alexis to smile; she had to learn how to speak to children… her daughter. She took her daughter's other hand, and began washing it._

_--- "Um, water cleans you. It's pure. When something is dirty, water makes it like new again."_

_Sam nodded in agreement as she thought about the way she felt the night prior when Evelyn brought her to Alexis._

_--- "It makes everything better."_

_Alexis smiled as she continued to wash her daughter._

_--- "Is it making everything better for you now?"_

_The little girl smelled her freshly washed arm and held it out to her mother to smell._

_--- "I'm not dirty anymore."_

_Alexis kissed Sam's soapy arm before filling a cup with water; she poured it over the top of her daughter's head hoping she could somehow wash every bit of pain the McCalls had ever inflicted on her. She watched as the soapsuds moved off of the child's body and flow down the drain. If only everything could have been so simple. If only water really so powerful._

_Nevertheless, she would not lay the burdens of the world onto her child's weak shoulders; she leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek before poking her in the stomach causing Sam to laugh._

_--- "You're clean, chipmunk. Just like new."_

_She grabbed a towel, wrapped Sam in it, and lifted her out of the tub. Sam laid her head onto Alexis' shoulder as she carried her into the bedroom._

_--- "Thank you, Mommy."_

**_End of Flashback_**

--- "You asshole!"

Evelyn was screaming at Cody who was screaming in pain from inside of the car.

--- "Shut up bitch!"

Both of their speech was slurred as they screamed at each other.

--- "God, look at what you caused! My arm is cut!"

He looked at her in disbelief. While she was complaining about her arm, his leg was clearly broken; he could see the bone jutting out from the skin.

--- "I tell you what, Ev, I'll take your cut arm, if you'll take this pain!"

--- "F*ck you, Cody!"

Cody had to look slightly behind him to see the other car; the driver was slumped over the steering wheel.

--- "Damn, I hope that bastard isn't dead; we could totally sue him for this sh!t."

Evelyn looked at her husband and shook her head.

--- "Yea, except you're the drunken asshole driving around town; you're definitely going to get a lot of money from him. And I tell you what; you can use that money to pay off the bitch that's going to have you bent over in the jail cell. God, you're so stupid!"

A siren was heard approaching for a distance. Cody looked behind him to make sure that Sam was safe.

--- "Samantha, honey?"

No sound was heard from the backseat. His heart began to race. While he was not the most attentive parent, he cared for the little girl; really, who could not? For the first time in his life, he caught himself saying a silent prayer to himself before looking at his wife.

--- "Would you check to see if she's okay?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes and turned to the backseat.

--- "Samantha—"

She was shocked to find that the girl was not there.

--- "Cody, she's gone."

He could not see behind him where Sam had been seated as moving was exceptionally painful; he adjusted the rearview mirror; she was not there. He knew that this was not going to end well.

--- "Evelyn, grab my cell and call the kid's mother—"

She shook her head.

--- "Cody—"

While the pain increased in his leg, and on his side, his mind was working a mile a minute as he thought of his next steps; he knew that he would be arrested for driving under the influence. He already had a warrant for his arrest in New Jersey, and there he was in Connecticut; this was not a good situation. He needed Samantha's mother on his side.

--- "Just call her Evelyn. Tell her what happened; tell her—"

Evelyn looked at him in confusion.

--- "Tell her WHAT, Cody?!"

He was passed out.

--- "Good for nothing, son of a bitch."

She took his phone from the cupholder and hit the quickly programmed number entitled, "Princess."

* * *

--- "Hello?"

Alexis' heart raced as she spoke into the phone; there was something wrong with her daughter. She knew it; she could feel it.

She could her an ambulance approaching in the background; she felt herself growing hysterical.

--- "What happened to my daughter?"

Stefan took his cousin's hand into his own. He prayed that those despicable, vile, vermin of the earth did nothing to harm a hair on Samantha's head. He would kill them with his bear hands if that child were hurt; she had been through too much at their hands to have her little wing rebroken. He would do anything to see her once again take flight.

Sam was his little Raven. He chose such a nickname for her because not only was her hair as dark as the bird's feathers, but it was evident that like the animal, the child was highly intelligent. Like the bird, she adapted to her surroundings and did what she could to survive; in order to continue the miserable existence impressed upon her, she learned to cope with whatever life had thrown her way: if it were crumbs, Samantha ate crumbs, if it were a beating, the child drifted to another time and place. Having known her but for less than a day, Stefan knew her well; he knew her because she was everything he and more so her mother, were when they existed among a household of savages.

As he held his cousin's hand, he knew that the Raven would be fine because she was like her mother; she was a fighter. Regardless of what may be told to Alexis on the other end of the phone line, that child would not leave her mother; she wanted her too much. And Alexis, her. He could see this.

--- "Alexis—"

She nodded as she listened to what she was being told.

--- "We'll be right there… Thank you for letting me know."

She hung up the phone. She wanted to crumble to the floor like sawdust, but she could not; she needed to get to the hospital. She looked at her cousin with tears in her eyes.

--- "There's been an accident—"

His fears were concerned.

--- "Samantha?"

She shook her head.

--- "I don't know. Evelyn just said she could see her on the ground—"

Stefan's blood pressure began to rise at the thought that his beautiful little cousin, whom he looked upon as a niece was lying on the cold ground while Evelyn was clearly no where by her side, but evidently well and safe; he wished that it were that cold hearted woman in the child's spot.

--- "Where was SHE?"

She grabbed her purse, and walked to the door.

--- "It doesn't even matter Stefan; she could rot in jail for all I care. I need to get to my baby; she needs her Mommy."

* * *

She felt herself being moved onto a hard board from the ground; she was in more pain than she could have ever imagined. The pain she felt was worse than she had felt from the countless beatings she had received from Evelyn; it was enough to make her slip in and out of consciousness.

--- "I want my Mommy."

She past out once again.

.

.

.

A light was shown into each of her eyes as she felt herself being moved quickly. Sirens were blaring.

--- "Equal and reactive; let's get her out of here."

.

.

.

When she regained consciousness, she was in a room and people were moving about her. They noticed that she had awoken.

--- "Hi sweetheart. You're not feeling too well are you?"

While the woman talking to her appeared kind enough, she could do nothing to alleviate the child's distress.

--- "It hurts."

The doctor gave her a sad smile.

--- "I'm sure it does, but we're going to make it all better."

The tears rolled down the sides of her face; not only was she in sheer agony, but the one and only person she was certain could make it better was no where in sight.

--- "Please, I want my Mommy."

The doctor had been informed that the child was in a car with two drunken persons who were currently being examined while in police custody; she assumed that the woman of the couple was her mother.

--- "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I think your Mommy is with a doctor right now."

Sam began to cry harder.

--- "Please… she makes it better… she'll make it better…"

She once again lost consciousness.

* * *

Alexis and Stefan rushed into the emergency room of the hospital. Like radar, she immediately spotted Evelyn's slovenly appearance down the hall; she charged toward her.

--- "HEY! What happened to my kid!?"

The woman was handcuffed to her chair, and an officer stood guard beside her. He stopped Alexis as she approached the woman.

--- "Miss, you need to calm down."

She had fire in her eyes.

--- "The hell I do! This bitch took my kid from me, she and her drunkard husband, and now my baby is somewhere here tattered like a ragdoll!"

Evelyn, for once, sat quietly staring at the door of the examination room from which she sat across. Her focus was not lost upon Alexis; she pushed passed the officer and got within inches of the older woman's face. She pointed at the door.

--- "Is she in there? Is Samantha in that room? Is that where my daughter is, you disgusting bitch?"

The officer moved to take her arm, but Stefan intervened.

--- "Sir, please don't touch my cousin—"

The man looked at the obviously proper gentleman standing before him in a custom made suit, with a significant amount of blood on the collar.

--- "What happened to you?"

Alexis shook her head at Stefan. She had no idea where she stood in regard to getting her daughter back from Evelyn and Cody, although her position had to be better now that they were clearly under arrest; she needed to play smart.

Stefan cleared her throat as he felt the back of his head.

--- "It appears that I fell. I suppose while I'm at the hospital, I may want to seek medical assistance."

The officer did not believe Stefan's injury was a result of a fall; he was certain it had something to do with the drunken woman he was guarding, and her even more intoxicated husband. Nonetheless, until this well-dressed man pressed charges against whomever battered him, it really did not matter to the officer what really happened.

--- "Yea, I think that's a good idea, and maybe you might want to take your cousin with you; I can't have her assaulting my charge."

Stefan rubbed the side of his face as he smiled coyly.

--- "Your charge? Eh? Well, might I let you know that I can smell the liquor from your charge from where I'm standing? And might I also tell you that because of your charge and her husband, my cousin's daughter is somewhere in this hospital all alone?"

The officer looked at Alexis; he could see her anger and pain from not knowing where her daughter was. He could also tell that she was of a different breed and class than the handcuffed woman and her husband.

--- "How old is your daughter, Miss?"

She wiped the tears that fell to her cheeks.

--- "Six."

He was taken aback by her declaration, but just as her cousin's head wound did not concern him, it was not his job to judge her for clearly having a child at a rather young age.

--- "And her name?"

--- "Samantha…"

It took everything in her to say her daughter's last name; she would make it her business the moment Sam was returned to her to change it.

--- "McCall."

The officer looked from Alexis to Evelyn.

--- "Is she your mother?"

Alexis looked as though she had been slapped in the face. The fact that the man would ever confuse her for Evelyn's child was one of the worse insults she had ever received; if ever there was a time she would have preferred to have been confused for Helena's child, it was in that moment.

--- "NO! She adopted my child, then dropped her on my doorstep abused and malnourished—"

Evelyn, who had not yet said a single word, turned quickly to Alexis.

--- "I never wanted your little brat anyway! You can take the little bitch!"

Alexis nearly flew on top of the woman, but Stefan grabbed her.

--- "Don't do it. Let her talk. She's making Samantha's bed nice and comfortable for her with you. Let her talk, Lex. You'll have her back; she'll fly back to you."

She took a deep breath and nodded her head; she knew that he was right. She turned once again to the officer.

--- "I want to see my daughter."

He was quite disgusted with the handcuffed woman; he did not understand how she could speak so terribly about a six year old child. He was more than happy to accommodate the woman who evidently cared deeply for her daughter; it was obvious with whom the child needed to be.

--- "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

For a child so small, it was a miracle that she was not more terribly hurt after being ejected from the car. As it stood, there were no internal injuries, but she suffered from two broken arms, a broken leg, and a concussion. Despite the obvious pain she was be in, with the help from the sedatives the doctors gave her, Sam was going to be just fine… physically.

Emotionally, the doctors would never know what she was feeling. The uncertainty of not knowing what was real and was fake, who loved her and who did not, and who was truthful and who was not. She had called for Alexis, but she never came. She told her that she was her security. She told her that she would always be there. She told her that she would never let anyone hurt her again. She lied.

**_Flashback_**

_Alexis walked back into the bathroom to see her daughter playing with the rubber ducky she had purchased for her and enjoying the bubbles. It amazed her how quickly the child seemed to have adjusted from being with her for merely a day; it was astounding how a little bit of love being shown to an innocent child in a short amount of time could make such a difference._

_--- "So, you like the ducky, Sammy?"_

_Sam's face brightened at the return of her mother._

_--- "YES, Mommy! Look at what it can do!"_

_She squeezed the duck before immersing it into the water. She released it and allowed it to fill with water._

_--- "Watch, Mommy!"_

_Alexis smiled at her daughter's excitement; she moved to sit at the tub's edge._

_--- "Let's see, baby."_

_Sam lifted the duck, and squeezed it once again causing water to shoot from the hole underneath it._

_--- "SEE!"_

_Alexis laughed as she began washing her daughter._

_--- "You're so silly, peanuthead. You know that?"_

_Sam spent the remainder of the bathtime playing with her duck; she felt as though she were in some kind of television commercial. Only there had she ever scene a child her age playing in the tub filled with bubbles and a rubber ducky._

_Alexis rinsed her off and lifted her from the tub. She stood her on the bathrug and began to dry her._

_--- "Mommy?"_

_She wrapped Sam in a towel and walked with her back into the bedroom where their clothes were already laid out for dinner with Stefan._

_--- "Hmm?"_

_She stood Sam up on the bed and began to help her get dressed._

_--- "What's inside your necklace?"_

_Sam had been intrigued with her mother's necklace from the moment that she had arrived on her doorstep. It was as though she were attracted to it. Alexis immediately put her hand to it._

_--- "Oh, baby it's something very special to me."_

_She sat down on the bed, and moved Sam onto her lap. She unlatched the necklace and held it in her hands and opened it for her daughter to see. There were two pictures inside._

_--- "Who's that?"_

_Sam pointed to a man and woman holding a baby in their arms. Alexis rested her cheek on the top of her daughter's head._

_--- "Um, that's Mommy, and those were her parents."_

_Sam studied the picture for a bit before looking up at her mother._

_--- "Am I going to see them?"_

_Alexis spoke softly._

_--- "No, chipmunk."_

_They appeared to be very lovely people, very kind. The little girl would not have minded meeting them._

_--- "Why?"_

_--- "They died."_

_Sam frowned as she turned to look at her mother._

_--- "What happened to them?"_

_She cleared her throat. She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around the child._

_--- "Baby, you know what, it's not important. Look at the other picture."_

_Alexis pointed to the solitary picture of what appeared to be a newborn baby with jet-black silky hair and a buttoned nose; the baby was quite beautiful. _

_ Sam smiled as though she immediately recognized herself. She held the picture in her little hand, amazed as though it were the first time that she had ever scene herself._

_--- "Mommy, is that me?"_

_Alexis kissed the top of her head._

_--- "Yes, chipmunk. That's the only picture that I have of you."_

_--- "Really?"_

_She nodded her head._

_--- "But, baby, we're going to change that. We're going to take so many pictures together. I want a whole album filled with my beautiful girl."_

_Sam smiled as she got onto her knees to fix the necklace back around her mother's neck._

_--- "I like that. I never have pictures."_

_Tears filled Alexis' eyes as her daughter fastened the necklace._

_--- "You never had pictures taken of you, Sammy?"_

_The little girl shook her head before repositioning herself on her mother's lap once more. _

_Alexis could not believe that there was not a single moment of her daughter's life captured in an image in all her six years of existence. There was no real record that such a beautiful child existed but for any written documents with her name. There seemed something so wrong about this. _

_If something were to happen to her in the next minute, hour, day, it would have been as though she were never on the earth. Nobody would remember her face, or her smile, or the way her dimples shown when she laughed. If God forbid something were to happen to her, it would have been as though her daughter was a nobody. No. Her daughter was a somebody. _

_She lifted Sam from her lap and quickly dressed her. _

_--- "We're going to start right now. You're going to have pictures."_

_Sam stood on the bed jumping up and down practicing her poses, as her mother got dressed._

_--- "Are you going to take a picture with me like the one you have in your necklace, Mommy?"_

_Alexis smiled and grabbed her digital camera; she was not finished getting ready, but after looking at the clock, something told her to take a picture before they left for dinner. She pulled Sam into her lap._

_--- "Let's make a silly picture."_

_She held out the camera, hoping that she was capturing them both in the image._

_--- "Ready?"_

_Sam nodded._

_--- "1…2… remember silly face, chipmunk… 3…"_

_She snapped the picture. They looked at it: Sam was sticking her tongue out yet smiling at the camera, Alexis gave her a kiss on the cheek. This was the first picture she had ever taken with her daughter. It was perfect._

_--- "Mommy, you said it was supposed to be a silly picture!"_

_Alexis picked her daughter up and covered her with kisses._

_--- "I got my silly girl in the picture!"_

_Sam wrapped her arms around her mother's neck._

_--- "Take another one!"_

_Alexis grabbed her camera and held it out. Sam poked her mother in the cheek as she smiled._

_--- "Now, YOU have to make a silly face!"_

_--- "ME?"_

_--- "Hmm-mm!"_

_Alexis poked her daughter in the side and smiled._

_--- "Fine."_

_She positioned the camera._

_--- "1….2…. Okay, get ready… 3…"_

_This time, as Alexis made a crazy face, Sam pressed laid her head onto her mother's shoulder and simply smiled with her dimple clearly pronounced. They looked at the picture._

_She caressed Sam's cheek; her daughter was immortalized._

**_End of Flashback_**

Alexis walked into the hospital room where her tiny daughter lay fast asleep under heavy sedation. She dragged the chair close to the bed and smiled sadly.

--- "There's my beautiful girl. Mommy's here."

She leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, praying that she did not hurt her.

--- "I know that this might not mean anything to you after everything that's happened, but Samantha, I swear to you, I swear on my life, that those people will NEVER touch you again. I told you that I am your security—"

She passed her hand through her daughter's hair.

--- "You're my water; you've made me brand new."

Stefan stood silently in the doorway watching his cousin's interaction with her daughter; he would ensure her happiness.


	10. Broken

For your sanity and my own, for both LAEE and UMR, updates are going to be every 1.5 to 2 weeks alternatively, unless the muse strikes whereas one story's update is pushed back to accommodate the other. Nonetheless, it takes quite a bit of time to write the updates, time that I don't have, so I can't promise that they'll always be up in that timeframe. Therefore, I ask that you continue to be patient.

Thank you for reading, and many thanks to those reviewing.

_I started to edit this, but realized the time and I've still quite a bit of work to read for next week's classes. I'll reread this later and make edits when I've the time. So, UNEDITED._

**Chapter Ten**

**Broken**

_**One Week Earlier**_

Mikkos sat in his office absolutely perplexed as to what was going on with Alexis. Aside from the slight hiccup in her teenaged years, which he had managed to fix (he made a conscious effort to never refer to this hiccup as her teen pregnancy; he had created for her a new life with a new name and refused to turn back to such an unexpected and disappointing chapter), she had never been one to give him any problems. And yet, much as the mistake of her youth snuck upon him unannounced, the call he had just received managed to do the same.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

Alexis slowly crawled into the bed with her tiny daughter. Every time she walked into the bedroom they shared, it never ceased to amaze her how the bed appeared to swallow the child whole. Sam, being as small as she was, seemed to disappear under the sheets and pillows. For a child of six, she had the stature of a four year old, and yet the weight of three year old; it was easy to quickly glance at the bed and fail to realize that she was in it. In fact, it would not have been too far from the mind to think that what was actually in the bed was a life-sized doll rather than a quiet child who had simply lost her will.

--- "Sam, don't you want to talk to Mommy?"

It had been two weeks since the accident and Sam had not said a single word except those that may have escaped her lips in her sleep. The doctors had run tests to ensure that the concussion had not been misdiagnosed whereas she had suffered from a brain injury, but when the scans returned unobstructed and clear, they informed Alexis that she was fine and suitable for discharge. Knowing that there was nothing the doctors could do for her daughter, after receiving temporary custody of Sam, Alexis took her home.

She laid her head onto her daughter's pillow as she wrapped her arms around the little girl.

--- "Baby, I know you can hear me, and I know that you can speak to me. Please, let Mommy know what's going on in your head. I can't help you if you won't talk to me."

Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away; she did not want her already clearly traumatized daughter to see her crying.

--- "You know, the doctors told me that you'll be able to have the casts on your arms taken off next week. I can tell they're starting to bug you and itch a little bit, right?"

She hoped for a response, but she knew she would not receive one. From the moment she lied in the bed, Sam had turned her head away from her and looked out the window; it was the same reaction she received every time she approached her. Nevertheless, she refused to give up; she knew that Sam was awaiting the moment when the other shoe dropped and she would be back with the McCalls. She needed to prove to her daughter that those days were long gone.

--- "I'm sure that you can't wait to be able to take a regular bath again, right? A nice bubble bath with Ducky?"

The only sign that Alexis ever received from her daughter that she was not only hearing what she was telling her, but also comprehending her, were the tears the rolled down her little cheeks. She knew that her daughter was hurting physically as no one, and certainly not a child, would be comfortable with two broken arms and a leg, unable to move or scratch when need be; but the emotional pain Sam suffered, appeared for worse than the physical.

Hearing her daughter sniffle, Alexis sat up and pulled her into her arms. She felt Sam stiffen to her touch, but the child did not attempt to push away from her as she had done previously. She took this as a good sign.

--- "Oh my little baby, I remember the day you were born; you were perfect: 10 fingers, 10 toes, beautiful black hair, the chubbiest cheeks. You were the best thing that ever happened to me despite everything horrible that life threw my way. You were the one thing, outside of Stefan, the one good thing that I had ever received. I don't know, in some ways, you were a blessing in disguise."

Sam sat quietly, leaning her head against Alexis' chest, as she listened to her heartbeat as she spoke; she did not know or understand what it was about the beating of the woman's heart, but it soothed her. In fact it seemed there was much that she did not understand: Alexis' words, Alexis, herself, nothing.

She listened as she was called a blessing, but she did not understand what that word meant either. From the way Alexis was speaking to her, however, it appeared to be a good thing, as though something she wanted. She called her a good thing and yet there she was in pain, and broken in more ways imaginable. She might have been good, but she clearly had not been good enough.

The tears rolled down Sam's cheeks as she thought about the amount of times she had called out for Alexis, and she never came. Alexis told her that she would never leave her and that she would always be there for her; she lied to her. She had claimed that the McCalls would never take her again, that she would fight for her, that she would always care for her, but when the time came, she was not there to help her. She was terrified as she sat in the back of a car she did not recognize, with two people whom she had hoped she would never again see, afraid that she would vomit all over herself because of the heavy stench of alcohol in the air; she wanted Alexis to come rescue her, but she did not.

Now, here she was holding onto her, hardly ever wanting to leave her side for a moment, aside from taking a shower or bringing in her meals. Sam felt like an idiot for having believed all that Alexis had told her within a day of knowing her; she would not allow her to do that to her again. It hurt too much to believe in her.

Hearing Sam sigh to her words, Alexis rested her cheek on the top of her daughter's head.

--- "I'm sorry, baby girl. I don't know what else I can say that will make all of this better for you. I wish I could take this pain away from you and have everything from the past couple of weeks erased, but I can't. All I can do is tell you that Evelyn and Cody are not going to be able to hurt you again."

* * *

_**Two Weeks Earlier**_

_Alexis walked out of Sam's room more determined than ever to keep the likes of Evelyn and Cody away from her daughter. Her heart broke at the sight of her tiny child lying in the hospital bed with bruises and cuts all over her little face, and casts on her arms and leg. She needed to ensure her safety._

_She saw Stefan standing across from the room on the phone while he waited for her. When he saw her he immediately ended the conversation and held his cousin in his arms._

_--- "How is she doing?"_

_Alexis shook her head, as she stayed enveloped in his embrace._

_--- "She's broken, Stefan. She's literally broken into pieces. I knew the moment I let go of her she would break. I knew it, and yet I did it anyway."_

_She began to sob. _

_As he held onto her, Stefan looked into the room and saw his raven's wings practically paper mach__é__d in place. This was not right._

_--- "We're going to make her whole, Alexis; she's not going back to those people."_

_She wiped her tears and let go of Stefan._

_--- "You're damned right! If I didn't know the law, Stefan, I swear to you I would kill those bastards for doing this to her. How are they safe and basically unharmed, while she's mangled in there? She's so small, and yet she's got these broken bones, cuts and bruises to add to those that that bitch already put on her body! And you know what? I already know that those aren't the worst she's had—"_

_Just then, the doctor approached her daughter's room with a woman holding a file that was clearly just made for Sam. They spoke low, but Alexis knew exactly what was going on; she was not going to allow it._

_--- "Stefan—"_

_She pointed toward the people talking._

_--- "They want to take her! They can't have her."_

_Before Stefan could respond to her, Alexis rushed over to the doctor and social worker; she would be damned if her daughter was taken from the pot and thrown into the fire. The foster care system was no place for a child who had a family to care of her, a family that wanted her, a family from whom she should have never been separated. No, Alexis was not going to allow this to happen to her girl; she would not give her away again._

_--- "Excuse me, but whatever arrangements you think you're coming up with for my daughter, you can cancel them; she's going to be going home with me."_

_The social worker looked at the young woman, who clearly had been a young teenaged mother, with disgust. She had not yet completely read Sam's file, but knew that she would not allow her to go back into the custody of her abusers._

_--- "I'm sorry miss, but until you can prove that you're fit to raise—"_

_Alexis shook her head in disbelief. She wanted nothing more than to fly off the handle at the woman for being so presumptuous as to think that she would ever lay a hand on her child, but she knew that doing so would only do more harm than good._

_--- "Miss, clearly you have me confused with someone else. My name is Alexis Davis, and I am Samantha McCall's biological mother. If there is anyone more fit to raise her, it would be me—"_

_The social worker looked through her files._

_--- "You're the child's mother?"_

_--- "Yes. Look, I know that you're looking at me as though I were some irresponsible teen and probably an irresponsible adult, but I assure you that I was not and I am not. I was fifteen when…[ahem] I was fifteen when I found out I was pregnant. My family—"_

_She nearly choked on the final word._

_--- "My family didn't think I was suitable to raise my baby, and despite my objections, they took her from me and she was given to those animals who didn't love her the way she was supposed to have been loved, and didn't treat her with the respect she deserved."_

_She went on to explain to the woman everything about how she came to become a part of Sam's life. She poured her heart and soul at the woman's feet, imploring her to realize that she was the only person Sam needed._

_When she was done, Stefan took her hand into his and smiled at the social worker; he was prepared to kidnap Sam from the hospital that evening if this woman thought she would take her from his cousin._

_--- "I assure you, madam, that my cousin, while she is young, is more than capable of caring for her daughter. She has the money to do so, has already bonded with Sam, and the girl knows Alexis as her mother. You would only be doing more harm than good by taking Alexis away from her."_

_The woman nodded as she took notes._

_--- "I am going to have to research this."_

_Alexis smiled graciously. There was nothing to research, nor decide further; Sam was going home with her regardless of what these people thought. She was tired of people thinking they could make decisions in regard to her daughter without her input. She was putting an end to this idiotic notion that everyone, but her, knew what was best for Sam._

_--- "Sure."_

_She pulled Stefan to the side; however before she could say anything, Stefan seemingly read her mind._

_--- "Alexis, Samantha is not going anywhere near a foster home or back in the clutches of those bastards. My only hope right now is that Evelyn is being used as a punching bag in prison, while her husband's crutches are being placed in the most inopportune—"_

_Alexis covered her eyes at the images that invaded her thoughts._

_--- "Please stop—"_

_He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a slight shake._

_--- "I've already called in several favors; Sam is as good as yours—"_

_She looked at him in disbelief. If Cassadines were anything, they were indeed efficient. _

_--- "What do you mean as good as mine?"_

_He pulled his handkerchief out and handed it to her to wipe her tear stained face._

_--- "Wipe your tears Cousin and go be with your daughter. I have to take care of a few more things."_

_She smiled sadly at him before looking back into the direction of the room._

_--- "Um, I'm going to stay here with her; I don't want her to wake up in the middle of the night alone and wondering where she is and why I'm not with her. I won't fail her again."_

_He gave her a kiss on the forehead. _

_--- "Alexis, you have never failed a day in your life; it's others who have failed you and your daughter."_

_He wrapped his arm around her and walked her into the room. He passed his hand along Sam's chubby, but cut and bruised cheek._

_--- "Little raven, you hurry up and heal so that we can once again see that pretty smile."_

_He gave her a tender kiss on the cheek before turning back to his cousin._

_--- "Now, tend to this gentle bird so that she may fly again."_

_She loved how sweet he was with her little girl; it was as though she were reliving her childhood through a new set of lenses. She felt like the luckiest person on earth to have him in her life._

_--- "Geez Stefan; must you ALWAYS speak like a poet?"_

_He smiled back at his cousin and gave her a kiss on either cheek. He whispered in her ear,_

_--- "Nevermore!"_

_With that, he left her for the evening._

* * *

_**One Week Later**_

Helena sauntered into her husband's office with a knowing smile plastered onto her face. She shook her head at the man's shock concerning the news he had just received.

--- "Really, Mikkos, I don't know why you're sitting here with such a stupid look on your face. I simply don't know why you invested so much time and energy into that girl. She's proven that she doesn't respect or is in the least bit grateful for all that you've given her."

He took a sip of his scotch and looked at his wife. She never liked Alexis; from the moment the girl entered their home she treated her worse than the dirt underneath her shoes. He shook his head at the memory of the countless times he saw inexplicable bruises… well, such is an understatement as it was evident from where and by whose hand they had come… on the girl's face and arms. He regretted never doing anything to stop the abuse inflicted upon Alexis… or Alexandra, as she was known then.

--- "She's had a tough life, Helena—"

She recoiled at her husband's asinine statement.

--- "Yes, difficult indeed: private tutors, private schools, private jets! Mikkos, you need to cut that spoiled waif off and let her stand on her own two pampered feet—"

--- "You know what I mean. You weren't the kindest person to her, and God knows Stavros—"

Helena jumped up from her seat and nearly onto the desk to reach her husband. Her heart hurt everyday that her son was rotting underground. She grabbed the letter opener from its holder and held it toward his neck precisely where the carotid artery was situated.

--- "Don't you ever speak poorly about my son! He was the sweetest child you ever would know. He knew what it meant to be loyal to one's family and would never lay a hand on someone who didn't deserve it. He was protective of those he loved!"

Her hand shook as she held the letter opener against Mikkos' flesh. As she held him, inches from her own face, with more strength than he had ever imagined she had, he stared at his wife with bewildered eyes wondering whether or not she knew about what and whom she was talking. Then again, she had always appeared to be quite blinded to the evilness that filled the boy.

Regardless of anything that he had done, be it broken arms, legs, ribs, or the less serious, yet most frequent, black eyes, Stavros was always the innocent victim in her eyes. He could do no wrong.

--- "Helena, I assure you that I was not attempting to speak ill of our dear son; I loved him."

She shook her head.

--- "Mikkos Cassadine loves no one but himself and his money."

It was true that he was not the most loving or emotive person, but he certainly treasured his family. He may not have approved of their acts, but everything that he had ever done in his life was for their well-being; he did what he thought was right.

--- "That's not true, Helena. I love you and our children—"

She dug the knife into his neck piercing his skin causing him to scream in pain.

--- "And that tramp?"

He closed his eyes at the insult against Alexis. The girl was an innocent, and yet she took her pent up frustrations with him, on her; it was not fair.

--- "You ask me about Alexis, yet you treat Stefan like some leper in the street. I should be asking you if you love him."

Helena dug the knife in further calculating the centimeters remaining before she hit the artery; he winced in pain.

--- "We're not talking about that bastard. I asked you about that good-for-nothing bottom feeder. Do you love her, Mikkos?"

He answered her… honestly.

--- "I do love her. I have to—"

He wanted to finish his thought, but Helena released him from her grasp and she stabbed the bloodied tip of the letter opener into his desk planner. She stormed out of the room without a glance backwards knowing that her husband was not gravely injured by her actions.

* * *

_**[b][i]Present Day[/b][/i]**_

Sam breathed in deeply as she attempted to control the wave of sobs that threatened to come to the surface. Since the accident, despite her lack of desire to speak with anyone, she had, at least once a day, a breakdown in Alexis' arms. She did not want to feel so vulnerable to the woman so that she would not become accustomed to her comfort, but she could not help herself; the uncertainty life threw her way seemed more painful to her than everything she had endured in her short life and that scared her.

She tried to move from Alexis' lap, but since her leg was casted up above her knee, it proved difficult. Not wanting to ask for help, she covered her face with a portion of Alexis' oversized t-shirt and cried.

Alexis held her daughter tightly as she rocked her gently.

--- "It's okay, sweetheart, it's okay. You might not believe me, but I will keep telling you this until you do: Mommy loves you more than you will ever know. You are my heart; if I ever lost you again, I couldn't live. That's how much I love you. There is no one more important to me than you. No one. So even though you're not ready to talk to me, I will never give up on you. I'm going to wait for you."

As the two sat in silence for some time, Sam not willing to say anything, while Alexis was finally at a loss for words, the doorbell rang. Alexis was unwilling to move from her spot, but she knew that Stefan was more than likely at the door. She gave Sam a kiss on the top of the head.

--- "Chipmunk, Mommy has to go answer the door."

Without having to say anything further, Sam released her and allowed Alexis to fix her in the bed. Alexis placed the teddy bear into her daughter's arms.

--- "Danny will keep you company, Sammy."

Sam gave her bear a squeeze as she averted her eyes away from her mother. She wanted to smile or thank her, as the bear was one of the most precious gifts she had ever received, but the words would not come out of her mouth. She simply gave the bear another squeeze and closed her eyes. Alexis took this as her daughter's sign of gratitude.

She smiled and gave her uncasted little foot a squeeze.

--- "You're welcome, my love."

Seeing that her shirt was wet from her daughter's tears, Alexis quickly went into her closet, grabbed and changed into a new t-shirt before going to answer the door.

As she had predicted, it was Stefan who had brought Nikolas along with him.

--- "Hi Cousin."

He saw the tears forming in her eyes as he stepped into the house. He gave her a kiss on either cheek before handing her his handkerchief while he placed the food he had brought with him onto the kitchen counter.

--- "Alexis, you don't have to be so emotional every time I come by for a visit."

Nikolas smiled at his father's humor. Despite the obvious stress his father and cousin appeared to have been under, he enjoyed living in the states and the prospect of seeing Alexis more often. He missed her terribly whenever he was home in Greece; he knew his father did as well.

--- "Hello Cousin Alexis."

She wiped the tears from her rolling eyes before giving the handsome child a kiss on either cheek.

--- "I've missed you, little man. How have you been?"

While she had spoken to the boy over the phone every night before he went to bed, she had not actually seen him since the night Evelyn and Cody broke into her apartment. Stefan did not want to bring him by to see Sam as the child was not only sleeping for most of the day, but he did not want his son to see her with the cuts and bruises all over her face from the accident.

--- "I've been well, thank you. May I see Samantha? I have a present for her."

He held up a gift bag so that Alexis could see that he had been courteous.

She smiled as she took his hand into hers.

--- "Of course you may! I'm sure she'll love it."

Stefan cleared his throat.

--- "Excuse me, but am I allowed to see the little beauty as well? Or because I have not brought anything for her as my well-mannered son has clearly pointed out, I'm not worthy?"

Alexis looked at Nikolas.

--- "What do you think, Nik? Can Father come see Samantha?"

The little boy rubbed his chin as though he were thinking.

--- "I suppose it would be alright."

Stefan balled his fist and gave his son a playful punch in the chin.

--- "You suppose?! Perhaps I should tell Cousin Alexis who exactly purchased the gift—"

Nikolas smiled at his father before turning his attention back to Alexis.

--- "Cousin, Father purchased the gift for Samantha because I am only five and I haven't a job."

Alexis feigned disappointment.

--- "He did?!"

He nodded his little head, but put his hand up to indicate that he had not yet finished his point.

--- "However, it was my thought that went into choosing the present. Father did not have an opinion on the manner. I believe that's more important, no? It is the thought that matters."

Alexis laughed as she gave her young cousin a kiss on the top of the head before punching Stefan in the arm.

--- "It certainly does, Nik."

They walked into her bedroom to find Sam still clutching the bear and looking at nothing in particular. Alexis stood at the foot of the bed to allow Stefan and Nikolas to approach her daughter.

--- "Sammy, look who've come to visit you."

Sam acknowledged Stefan's presence by giving the bear a hug. She had grown accustomed to seeing him as he stopped by everyday, but Nikolas was an almost welcomed change; she gave him a small smile.

Stefan gave her a kiss on the forehead.

--- "And how are the raven's wings mending? Is your mother taking care of you? She has not tried to feed you something that she has cooked herself, has she?"

The last statement earned him the tiniest smile. He was always good at easing her heart. He caressed her cheek.

--- "Ah, look at that. Soon enough, you'll be chirping and singing in a tree. Well, I'm sure you and Nikolas don't want your mother and me in here, so we will leave you to catch up and get reacquainted with one another."

After helping her into a sitting position, he moved aside to allow Nikolas to greet the girl.

--- "Be careful with her, son. If she appears to be getting tired, please come back out and allow her to rest."

He boy nodded his head.

--- "Yes father."

Stefan took Alexis by the arm and led her out to the living room so that they could talk.

* * *

_**Two Weeks Prior**_

_Stefan walked into Cody's hospital room to find the man lying in evident pain. He smiled as he noticed the handcuffs around his wrists._

_--- "My, my, sir, it appears that you've gotten yourself into quite a predicament."_

_Cody groaned at the sight of Stefan in his room. He was already waiting for the drugs to kick in, so dealing with such a pompous and arrogant jackass as he found Stefan to be, was not on his list of a pick-me-up._

_--- "What the hell do you want?"_

_--- "I thought you might like to know that I'm all fixed up after my little… fall."_

_Stefan took a piece of gauze from the box on the table. He rolled a stool over to the side of Cody's bed and sat down. He pressed the gauze to the back of his recently stitched head and showed the man the drop of blood that he wiped from his hair._

_--- "You see, sir… [ahem] do you mind if I call you Cody? I suppose we know each other well enough at this point that we should be on a first name basis. If you're comfortable, you may in fact call me Stefan."_

_Cody incredulously looked at the man who sat beside him with his legs crossed._

_--- "Whatever."_

_Stefan nodded his head. _

_--- "Wonderful! We're starting this conversation on a great foot… oh, no offense, Cody! I see you're in some pain there. How's that going for you? Have the doctors neglected to help you out on the medication? I'm so sorry."_

_The drunkard scowled as he noted the sarcasm in the other man's voice._

_--- "Again, what the hell do you want… Stefan?"_

_He stressed the man's name as a sign of feigned compliance and cooperation. _

_Stefan, being disgusted with the sight of the man, however could no longer tolerate being in the room with him longer than necessary. He feared of what he would do to Cody with his leg severely broken and in a tight case with so many sharp medical instruments at his disposal. He imagined breaking his right leg to match his left, and perhaps both of his arms so as to make the man be in far more pain than that beautiful child on the pediatric floor. With such thoughts running through his head, he knew he needed to make this visit quick and to the extent he could muster, painless._

_--- "Alright, let's cut to the chase here. I want to know who the hell you are, how you got a hold of Samantha, and what I can do to ensure that neither you nor that wretched wife of yours ever come near her again."_

_Cody began to fidget in the bed._

_--- "How else do couples who want a kid get a kid when they can't have one? They adopt! And that's what we did—"_

_Stefan balled his fists as he placed the on his knees; he concentrated on keeping them there._

_--- "You and I both know that no adoption agency in their right minds would EVER give the likes of you a child. You and your wife are by far the most reprehensible people I have ever met, and despite the situations in which that child was given up… no, TAKEN from her mother six years ago, I have to believe that you were not the logical or presumptive choice for raising Samantha."_

_--- "Believe what you want, guy! Like I told the princess—"_

_Stefan was furious of the way Cody though he could speak of his beloved cousin. It disgusted him how a person so useless to society could judge someone such as Alexis without realizing the torment and pain she suffered throughout her life. He could not contain the anger he felt welling in his heart at the grief he caused not only Alexis, but her child; they did not deserve it… they did not deserve any of it. _

_He grabbed the man by his hospital gown bringing him within an inch of his face._

_--- "Her name is Alexis you insolent waste of your father's tainted sperm. I want to know how the hell you got your hands on my cousin, and why you thought it alright to abuse her—"_

_Cody was terrified; never before had he seen such wrath in the eyes of another person. Her was certain that he was looking into the eyes of death._

_--- "I'm telling you, Stefan, I NEVER laid a hand on her!"_

_Stefan angrily shook his head._

_--- "I assure you, sir, that I suffer no fool. You may think that you never touched her, but seeing at that evil wench of a wife of yours had the nerve and audacity to lay her disgusting hands on that innocent child __and you did NOTHING to stop her, you're just as guilty as she_! What kind of man ARE you?!"

_There was no point in continuing his interrogation of the man; he would not help him. Stefan knew that if he wanted any information, he would have to attain it himself. _

_He forcefully pushed the man onto the bed, causing him to hit his elbow hard against the railing; he screamed out in pain convinced that he suffered a fractured, if not another broken bone._

_--- "You son of a bitch!"_

_Stefan laughed as he fixed his suit._

_--- "You have NO idea."_

_He reached for the call button and pressed it before leaving for the hotel; he figured Cody might need a doctor._

***************

_**The Next Day**_

***************

_Stefan walked into Sam's hospital room to find her awake and in her mother's arms. He smiled at her while putting his finger to his lips so that she would not wake Alexis._

_--- "And how are you, my dear."_

_She hid her face in the blankets that surrounded her. He was saddened to realize that she had regressed to not speaking; he hoped that she would once again take solace in her mother._

_--- "Aww, why would you want to hide that pretty face of yours? You're far to gorgeous to hide under these subpar hospital linens; they aren't of your caliber, little raven."_

_He moved the sheet from her face causing her to smile slightly. He was thrilled to be getting through to her._

_--- "Ah, there's that beautiful smile I like to see."_

_He stared at her for a moment amazed at how much she looked like her mother, but there was this mysteriousness to her young beauty. He knew once she became older, she would be a knock-out, and a bit of a problem for her mother in that respect. Nevertheless, he adored the little girl._

_--- "Are you really not going to speak to Cousin Stefan? Even after he brought you your new pajamas and…" _

_He pulled the bear he had found in his cousin's bedroom from the bag that carried a change of clothing, toiletries, and pajamas for Sam and Alexis. He handed her the bear and watched as she snuggled with it and her mother._

_--- "So, that WAS your bear? I was convinced that your Mommy had not yet grown out of such things; between you and me, Raven, Mommy had this little mouse—"_

_Alexis had given up on any notion of sleep from the moment her daughter was taken from her for the second time. She took short fifteen-minute naps every hour, terrified that if she were to allow sleep to take over, she might awake to find her daughter gone. She held the child close and listened to her soft breathing, passing her hand along her chipmunk-like cheeks assuring her that she was still beside her and would not leave her again. Several times during the night she awoke with nightmares and murmured a call for her Mommy; Alexis whispered soothing words into her little ear, at which point Sam immediately calmed. She could not rest until she was assured that her daughter would always remain beside her. Therefore…_

_--- "I never owned a stuffed animal, Stefan, let alone a little mouse."_

_He smiled at her. He knew his cousin well enough to know that she had not been asleep; she was too protective of her child to have suddenly, after years of being a light sleeper, become a sound one._

_--- "Yes! I suppose you're right, Alexis; it is this little lovely who owns one. Please excuse my confusion!"_

_He took the mouse Nikolas had purchased for Sam from the bag and placed it on the bedside table. She rolled her eyes at the man before turning her attention to her daughter who had not yet said a word. She gave her a kiss on the forehead._

_--- "Good morning, chipmunk."_

_Sam, not having any space on the bed to hide, resigned herself to turn her face into the woman. Alexis' heart broke as she looked up at Stefan; she spoke to him in French._

_--- "I was hoping that she wasn't speaking to just you."_

_He pulled a chair up to the bedside and sat down._

_--- "Give her some time, she'll come around. Look how quickly she adapted to you the other day."_

_She wanted to believe what he was saying, but she knew that he was wrong; this was not like the day Sam was dropped into her lap. They had a clean slate then. Now, she had to find a way to clean the blood stains that covered the slate that had been given to them. This was not the same at all._

_She gave Sam another kiss on the top of the head._

_--- "I'm going to go brush my teeth and take a shower, baby. Can you stay with Cousin Stefan?"_

_Sam squeezed her bear tightly and allowed Alexis to easily move from the bed. It was clear that she was no longer concerned with whether or not she stuck to the woman like glue; it did not seem to matter anymore._

_Alexis felt the change._

* * *

_**Present Day**_

Nikolas stared at his new cousin for a moment before realizing that it was rude to stare. Instead, he showed her the bag in his hand.

--- "I've brought you another present, Samantha. Would you like to see it?"

Sam looked at him then down at the bag before slightly nodding her head. He grinned widely as he realized that despite his father's cautionary words that she may not respond to him, he had made a slight chip in Sam's solid wall of silence.

--- "Good!"

He handed her the bag and watched as she slowly attempted to extract the gift. The task proved quite difficult as both her arms with casted (her right up passed her elbow, while the left was just below). Nikolas climbed onto the bed, and crawled so that he was sitting beside her.

--- "May I help you?"

With a tear rolling down her cheek she nodded her head. He took the bag from her hand and removed the gift and showed it to her; it was a teddy bear dressed in a hospital gown and a broken leg.

--- "I know that it isn't just like you, but Father said that not too many people have a broken leg and two arms at the same time."

Sam sighed as she held the bear on her lap.

Nikolas, not knowing what to do, continued to talk.

--- "I've never had a broken bone before; I suppose when you begin to talk again, you'll tell me what it's like? I do, however, think that it's very nice that you were able to choose a color for it. I suppose it isn't too prudent to give a child a white one, as it'll get dirty rather quickly. I think the purple is nice on you? Did you choose it?"

Sam shook her head slightly. She liked that she was not being willed to speak, or was being told that everything would be fine. She appreciated the fact that her cousin was just speaking to her.

Nikolas once again smiled. He took his shoes off in order to make himself more comfortable on the bed.

--- "I think I would get either a blue or green cast if I ever had a broken bone. I think it is somewhat cool to have a cast. Does it hurt?"

Sam once again nodded her head. Nikolas rethought his last statement.

--- "Well, I guess I could get father to buy me a pretend cast? Does that sound silly to you? I don't think a young man should have such things; I will have to ask father. I know that if I were to ask Cousin Alexis, she would tell me that it was fine, but she isn't a man, she would not know the appropriate… um, I forget the word that father uses. He says that Cousin knows only how to be a girl, woman, and lawyer. But she's not yet an attorney, so I suppose she can pretend?"

Nikolas took the bear from Sam's lap and looked it over for some time.

--- "He has crutches. I guess if your arms were not broken, you would have them, but you can't hold onto them right now. Father says that you'll have two of the casts removed shortly, are you excited?"

She shrugged her shoulders. She could not say that she was excited about anything these days. Everything was uncertain in her life. People kept telling her that everything would be fine, that she would always have a family, that she was loved, that she had nothing to worry about, but she knew that no one knew.

On most nights Sam awoke to Alexis' increased heartbeat and quickly paced breathing as she cried when she thought the child was asleep. Sam heard her mother sobbing in the shower, in the living room and the kitchen, anywhere out of her view; she knew that despite the amount of times she attempted to reassure her of her safety, Alexis had no reason to believe anything she told her was true.

Sam turned to her cousin and laid her head onto his shoulder.

--- "I'm scared."

* * *

_**Several Days Prior**_

_Having interned at the District Attorney's office, Alexis was familiar with many of the detectives, sergeants, and the Commissioner of New Haven. As a result, she was able to have several favors given so that she could pay a very special visit to the woman who had set all this hell into motion._

_--- "Hello, Evelyn."_

_The woman sat on the bottom bunk of the prison bed. She appeared to have been staring into space, but was quickly ripped from her thoughts at the young woman's arrival. She did not bother to respond, which caused Alexis to laugh to herself._

_--- "Ironic that that's your response; Sam isn't talking either. But you know what? The difference is that she isn't talking because she is so traumatized over everything that has happened in the past day, while you're not saying a word because you're just a pathetic piece of sh!t who feels sorry for yourself."_

_Evelyn sighed as she listened to Alexis speak. She wished that she would go back to her comfortable life and leave her alone; she had quite a bit more things to be concerned about than a child she never wanted._

_--- "I don't know why you're here, kid. You've got the brat; you can keep her. I've got my own problems: I'm stuck here because my bitch sister refused to come to town and post bail so I'm stuck here until trial…"_

_Having run x-rays and a physical examination on Sam, the doctors discovered that she had had a series of fractured bones that had gone untreated, bruises unassociated with the accident, malnourishment; each of these a clear indication of ongoing child abuse. As a result, while she was not the driver that night, she was taken into custody by the New Haven police department for her acts against Sam, and transferred to the New Jersey prison where she had been imprisoned for the passed two weeks._

_--- "…my kid is stuck in some foster home, and Cody is going to jail for about ten to fifteen years because of that kid—"_

_Alexis gripped the prison bars. It astounded her how these people appeared unable to take responsibility for their reckless actions. The reason Cody was in prison for so long, was because he decided to not only drive under the influence of alcohol, but he left his jurisdiction while criminal charges were pending against him in New Jersey._

_--- "Are you kidding me?! How the hell is any of this Sam's fault? You two idiots thought it smart to take her from a loving home… now, let me start from the beginning; you two assholes decided to adopt her—"_

_Evelyn went to object, but she kept quiet. Alexis noticed this._

_--- "What were you about to say?"_

_The imprisoned woman rolled her eyes._

_--- "Why don't you go home and take care of the kid? I hear she's got a few broken bones. Why are you here bothering me?"_

_Knowing that it was because of several huge favors that she was able to see the woman, Alexis kept her temper at bay. Instead, she pulled out a picture from her bag and threw it into the cell._

_--- "You're right, I do have to get home to take care of her, something that you clearly have not done in all her life. But, I do want you to look at this picture of what you did to her… what you and your husband did to her."_

_Alexis had taken a picture of her daughter while in the hospital with tears rolling down her cheeks as she attempted to sleep through her pain and discomfort._

_--- "She hasn't spoken a word since that night."_

_Evelyn picked up the picture and tore it in half before crumpling it into a ball and throwing it at Alexis._

_--- "Consider yourself lucky, kid, that brat doesn't know how to do anything but whine. Now get the f*ck out of here."_

_Alexis bent down and picked up the two pieces of the picture. She opened them to look at her child holding on to the teddy bear she had named Danny after the brother she loved dearly._

_--- "You know, I love my daughter more than my own life. When I see her lying in bed broken, unable to move comfortably, or to play and color, or have the DESIRE to do any of those things, I feel as though someone has stabbed me in the gut, right where I felt her kick for the first time. Do you know how that feels? I mean, I know that you aren't a person who seems to give a damn about your children, but you have to feel something when you see that they're in pain, otherwise you're just not human—"_

_Evelyn crossed her arms across her chest as she looked defiantly at the woman._

_--- "I guess you're right… I'm not human after all."_

_Alexis shook her head. She walked up to the prison bars and smiled sadly._

_--- "Well, a mother would feel that way for a child regardless of whether or not she gave birth to him. I think about Danny and I feel as though I've been punched in the stomach because I realize that my baby is home with me, and in my arms every night, but he doesn't have that. That poor boy is—"_

_For the first time, Evelyn approached Alexis._

_--- "Don't talk about my kid, you hear me, you little bitch! He may be retarded, but he's not some poor boy. Just because Danny isn't the brightest bulb in the packet, you got no right to pity him. He'll be fine. Yea, good for Samantha snuggling in your bosom day and night, but lemme tell you something, kid, life isn't like that. She's not going to have you to run to every time she gets a 'booboo' or whatever, she needs to learn to fend for herself. Danny is in a better position than your spoiled brat. I survived the household I grew up in, he'll survive wherever he is until I get him back."_

_Alexis had no other words she could tell the woman. She would have liked to tell her that her son was placed in a specialized school meant to meet his needs, but she saw no point; Evelyn was a lost cause. She needed to leave; Sam was home waiting for her._

* * *

_**Present Day**_

Knowing that he would never drink a cup of her coffee, Alexis put the teakettle on to boil before having a seat beside him on the living room couch. He took her hand into his.

--- "So, without lying to me and telling me that you're fine, how are you really?"

She attempted to get up and move back to the kitchen area, but he pulled her back down.

--- "Alexis, for the past two weeks you have done nothing but avoid this question. I know you're not fine—"

She pulled her arm from his grasp and glared at him; she hated the way he was always able to read her. When she wanted to swallow her emotions and smile for the world, he was always there to have her regurgitate everything that she was feeling. There were a few times when she had been able to keep him in the dark of what was going on in her brain, but they were few and far between.

--- "Well, if you KNOW I'm not fine, STEFAN, why ask me?! What exactly would you like me to tell you? That my daughter won't talk to me? That she won't talk to anyone at all, and it's because I lied to her and told her that I would always protect her—"

--- "You couldn't do anything to stop Evelyn and Cody from taking her Lex. My goodness, they smacked us BOTH in the backs of the head with something and took her."

She shook her head. There was nothing that could be said to excuse her responsibility for what happened.

--- "No. Had I stood up to Mikkos, and Helena, and… and… told them them… told them that I didn't care what they had to say, that I would raise my baby with or without their help, and that I would love her the way she was supposed to have been loved, none of this would've happened. If I weren't so concerned with how keeping her might have affected me, or you, my daughter would not be on the path, at six years old, to having a complete emotional breakdown. I set this all into motion."

Stefan wanted to defend her against herself, but he knew that it would be a lost cause. In her heart of hearts, she knew, as well as he, that this was not her fault, and that there was nothing that she could have done to change the path that led Samantha to the position in which she was. He looked at Alexis with bags and dark circles under her eyes, clearly not sleeping as she worried about what would happen to her daughter; his heart broke into a million pieces. He wanted nothing more than to mend this hurt that filled her.

--- "You know what, there is nothing that we can do about the past; what's done is done. Now, we have to look toward the future. What are you going to do to ensure that Samantha remains safe? What are you going to do to get her to emerge from her shell? Because I've got to tell you, Alexis, you look like crap."

She covered her face knowing that what he said was true; she had not had a decent night's rests since the first night her daughter was in her arms. Since that time, she has spent the time almost keeping watch at the door, and holding her traumatized baby. While Sam refused… or was unable… to speak to her since the incident, the child still slept with her arms around Alexis, and her little head resting on her chest listening to the calming sounds of the woman's heartbeat. It was as though hearing the sounds ensured to the child that Alexis was real, and that she was alive, and still with her.

--- "Thank you, Stefan. It is very nice of you to point that out to me. I certainly appreciate your candor."

She moved to tend to the whistling teapot as he stood up and followed her.

--- "I'm not saying anything to you to be mean, Lex, but you need to take care of yourself. I'm quite certain Sam can tell that you aren't exactly yourself. And now that you've—"

She filled the cups without looking up at him; she knew that he was not pleased with what she had done.

--- "Don't lecture me again, Stefan. I know that you're not happy, and that's fine, but you know what? This isn't about whether or not you're happy. This is about Sam, and what she needs."

She slid the mug toward him and walked back to the couch, where she sat.

--- "I don't want to talk about this again, Stefan."

He followed her to the couch.

--- "Fine, you don't want to talk about it, but I don't think you have much of a choice in the matter, Alexis; you're going to have to address this."

She gave him a puzzled look.

--- "What?"

Her phone began to ring. Stefan reached behind him and answered it for her.

--- "Hello? … Yes… One moment."

He held the phone out to her.

--- "It's time."

* * *

_**A Day Earlier**_

Stefan and Nikolas walked into their hotel suite after having dinner at a local restaurant. The child was exhausted as they had spent time visiting the museums in the area, as well as searching for an apartment appropriate for them.

--- "Alright, Nikolas, please have Aristea give you a bath and have you get ready for bed. I will be in shortly to read you the next chapter of _The Iliad_."

--- "Yes Father."

Nikolas walked out of the room toward his nanny's bedroom.

As Stefan was pouring himself a drink, his phone began to ring. He looked at the display and rolled his eyes.

--- "Hello Father."

Mikkos cleared his throat on the other line. Outside of business, he only called Stefan when he needed to find out what was going on with Alexis; the last time such a call was made, the girl was several months pregnant, and the school contacted Mikkos with questions to the matter.

--- "Stefan, I must say that I do not appreciate finding out that you have been out of town for nearly two weeks from the driver who took you to the airport."

Stefan took a sip from his drink.

--- "I'm surprised you noticed so quickly, Father."

Mikkos heard the note of sarcasm in his son's voice, but dismissed it; he had no patience for the man's inferiority complexes. He was not one of those fathers who returned home from a day of work in search of his sons to play catch outside on the front yard. Mikkos Cassadine was a tough man who worked hard all day so that his wife and children could live comfortably with maids, butlers, and nannies. His love for his family was shown in what he could provide them.

--- "I am not in the mood to deal with your nonsense Stefan. Where are you?"

Stefan knew his father suspected that he was in New Haven with Alexis. His heart began to beat quickly as the man must have realized that Alexis had regained custody of her daughter. He was not ready for the conversation that would ensue from such a sudden change in the girl's life.

--- "I am exactly where you have already assumed and know that I am."

Mikkos' suspicions were confirmed.

--- "Good, now, you may tell me what your cousin has gotten herself into with—"

Stefan was interrupted his father.

--- "With all due respect Father, but I must interrupt you to inform you as to something you have clearly been unable to tell: I am not Alexis."

--- "I know that you are not Alexis, Stefan—"

He interrupted the man once again.

--- "No, I do not believe you do know this. I am no longer going to be used as some form of carrier pigeon for you to Alexis, nor am I going to tell you her business. If you want to find out what has happened, I think you may want to speak to her yourself. She is a very intelligent girl, Father; you might be able to figure that out if you ever took the time to speak to her. Now, if you'll excuse me, my son is waiting for me to read him a story before bed."

Mikkos was shocked by the way his son had spoken to him. Yes, he had a tendency to pass messages through to Alexis from Stefan, but that was due to a matter of expediency; being that he spoken to his son every so often in regard to his grandson and business, it seemed much quicker to kill two birds with one stone by telling the man anything for which Alexis needed to be aware. It was simply… efficient.

--- "For a man living off my dime—"

Stefan was enraged. Never had he expected anything to be handed to him; he worked hard for the company even if he were to receive only the tiniest bit of recognition from his parents. He was nothing like his good for nothing brother who did nothing but squander everything that was given to him.

--- "You know what, sir, I'm going to end this conversation with you right now before I disrespect you. However, I will say this to you, when you speak to my cousin: please realize your hand has played an integral part in the recent happenings in her life. Good night, Father."

Mikkos slammed the phone shut; he did not appreciate being left out of his family's loop.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

Alexis took the phone from Stefan's hand and put it to her ear. She did not need him to tell her who was on the other line.

--- "Hello Cousin."

Mikkos took a deep breath before speaking to the girl; this was the first time, in his recollection, that he had ever spoken to her over the phone.

--- "Hello Alexis. Would you care to explain to me who gave you the right to drop out of school in your final year?"

The sound of the man's voice on the other line made her sick to her stomach as she reflected on the years of mistreatment her daughter was made to suffer because of him.

--- "I didn't realize you cared so much."

He was taken aback by her attitude. While he was used to Stefan's sarcasm, Alexis had always been quiet and respectful to him and his authority; perhaps the American life had gotten the best of her manners.

--- "I suggest you remember with whom you are speaking, young lady; I will not hesitate to cut you off financially."

Alexis began to laugh uncontrollably taking Stefan by surprise; he knew there was nothing his father said on the line that would ever cause the girl to laugh, especially at a time such as this.

--- "Let me explain something to you, Cousin, I don't give a sh!t about the money. You've done far worse to me than this threat to cut me off financially; if ONLY that was what you had done to me all those years ago."

Mikkos was at a loss for words; this was not the Alexis that he knew.

--- "What are you talking about?"

She grabbed Stefan's hand and gave it a squeeze before she responded to the man's question.

--- "Did you forget about my little bastard? You know, the one you threw by the wayside six years ago?"

Mikkos stood up in his spot and began to pound on the table. He was not the type of person who lost his temper often (that was Helena's personality), instead, he usually remained quite calm and cold all at once. Alexis' behavior, however, managed to take him to a level of anger he had not expressed since the night his eldest son died.

--- "You were a CHILD, Alexis! You had NO reason to raise that baby!"

Alexis' anger began to mount.

--- "I had no REASON? The reason was that she was an innocent child, and I was her MOTHER! THAT'S more reason than ever to have allowed me to keep my baby."

--- "I gave your daughter to a family that could give her what she deserved."

She could not believe that he had the audacity to say those words to her again; he was either delusional, or more evil than his wife.

--- "Yes, and we know what you believed she deserved: beatings, bruises, and malnourishment. You threw my child to a pack of wolves!"

It was as though someone had thrown water over the raging fires that filled within Mikkos; he immediately calmed.

--- "You've seen her?"

Alexis could not believe what she had just been asked. She turned to look at Stefan whose mouth hung open from the level of disrespect he had witnessed from his exceptionally well-mannered cousin.

--- "That's your response to me, Mikkos?"

Stefan just about fainted at hearing Alexis refer to the head of their family by his first name.

She released his hand and walked about the room as she continued to speak as though she were in some form of trance unconcerned with the paled look on her cousin's face.

--- "My kid has spent the past six years of her life practically tortured and living in absolute squalor because of you, but all you ask me is if I've seen her? That is amazing, even for you."

This was not right; he needed her to understand.

--- "Alexandra—"

Hearing the name associated with the most difficult part of her life by this man who caused history to repeat itself was like a stab in the heart.

--- 'Don't you DARE call me that! You killed her! You killed Alexandra when you ripped my daughter from my arms! You have NO RIGHT!"

She felt a sob attempt to escape from her throat, and her legs collapse underneath her, but Stefan was by her side in a flash to catch her. He took the phone from her hands.

--- "Father, I think you need to call back later."

Without waiting for a response, Stefan hung up the phone, thereby displaying his own level of disrespect for the man who caused his cousin such pain. He held onto her as she sobbed the deeply rooted tears she had stored for the day she released the anger that filled her against Mikkos for everything he had done and everything he could have prevented.

--- "I've got you, Lex. It's okay, I've got you."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter... See you in 1.5-2wks for the next update. Until then, considering the amount of you all who read this, I would love to hear from more of you. It doesn't take much to take a minute to share your thoughts; you will never know how inspiring and motivating such a gesture actually is to a writer (anyone, not just me) who's taken the time out of their schedules to write updates for your pleasure. It's give and take.**

**;o)**


	11. Visiting Pasts

Ok, so I wrote a nice portion of this chapter while I was absolute sick as a dog… For that reason, you're getting this earlier than normal. I simply didn't have a funny bone in my body when my head was in the toilet for days to write LAEE.

This chapter contains some **GRAPHIC ****VIOLENCE** and is therefore **Rated M. **Be **WARNED** and **ADVISED**.

UNEDITED.

**Chapter Eleven**

**Visiting Pasts**

Alexis locked up the apartment after Stefan and Nikolas departed for the evening. She needed to clean up the dinner plates, but after her confrontation with Mikkos on the line, she found herself emotionally and physically drained. The hatred that filled her toward the man was enough to compete with the raging fires of hell; she only prayed that one day soon, the man would find himself wandering alone in its pits. In that way, he would have some inkling of the pain he had caused not only her, but her daughter in his acts of… she did not even know the word to describe his acts: selfishness… hate… indifference to human life?

_**Flashback**_

_Alexandra mourned the loss of her daughter. It had been two weeks since she had given birth, and still every night she expected to feel her movement and her kicks inside of her. Her body felt like an empty nursery, and her still enlarged stomach, the crib in which her child spent the first nine months of her life. Walking around with her baby in neither her arms nor her womb was the cruelest joke life had ever played on her._

_She slept every night wondering where her child was and what she was doing. She imagined the people who had her beautiful girl, and prayed that they recognized what kind of treasure they had. Her baby was a miracle; she was her diamond… in the rough._

_She walked down the long steps of the castle to the dining room for dinner. She ensured to arrive five minutes early so as to avoid any conflict with Helena over tardiness; she did not think she could handle such an argument on the day in which her daughter turned fourteen days old at exactly 8:01 pm._

_Unfortunately, as she entered the dining room, Stavros was already seated as though he had been awaiting her entrance. At his sight of her, he smiled coyly._

_--- "Ah, and here is our resident slut. And how are you today, Alexandra? Are we still leaking like a cow's udder?"_

_The sight of the man made her blood run cold; she often wondered who was more evil, he or his wretched mother. It was as though from the moment she moved into the house, he had set his sights on making her as miserable as he could. She was tired of it._

_--- "What exactly have I ever done to you, Stavros for you to treat me the way you do? The way you have?"_

_He stood up from his spot and approached her in his slow, yet confident gait. It was almost a strut that meant to terrify the person who dared not realize with whom they were conversing._

_As he approached her, her heart began to race as she grew terrified of what he may do to her. She should have known better than to speak to him in such a manner, but having lost her child, she had nothing more to lose… except her life. With her baby, it was pointless._

_He smiled his smile that would lead an unsuspecting person to believe that he was… human._

_--- "Oh, Alexandra, you care to know what it is about you that makes me sick to my stomach? You dare ask me what it is about you that I detest more than the common peasant in the street?"_

_She knew better than to answer him; it was a rhetorical question. He, nevertheless smacked her hard across the face causing her to stumble backwards._

_--- "YOU ANSWER ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!"_

_The tears stung her eyes, but she dared not allow them to fall._

_--- "I'm sorry."_

_He sneered at the girl before throwing pushing her against the wall as he listened for his family entering the dining room. He stuck his hand under her shirt and gave her breast a hard squeeze causing some milk to spill onto his fingers._

_--- "Hmm, looks like that worthless maggot of yours is going hungry tonight; her cow is all the way in Greece, mooching off of the kindness of this family, while it—"_

_She wanted nothing more than to correct him and tell him that her baby was a beautiful girl. That she, despite everything, was perfect. She wanted to tell him that her baby was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. She wanted to scream in his face that he standing before her groping her in a way only a husband should do to his wife, and despite every other time he called her a whore, or a slut, a bitch, or any other deplorable name he could think of, could not take away from the fact that her baby meant the world to her and that she was grateful for her existence. No one would make her think lowly of her child. _

_But she did not. And so he continued._

_--- "—is living off of the crumbs from the plates of others. That thing is no better than its worthless, piece of trash mother."_

_He would have continued insulting her, but he heard the grandfather clock chime, and his family's footsteps moving toward the dining room. He released the girl and returned to the place he previously occupied._

_Stefan walked into the room followed by Helena and Mikkos. Looking at his cousin, he immediately knew that something had occurred between Alexandra and his… brother. The thought that he was related to the "man" repulsed Stefan._

_He took his cousin aside to question her, but Helena glared in their despicable direction._

_--- "Unless you two lovers—"_

_Mikkos slammed his hand on the table to get the attention of his wife for such a comment._

_--- "HELENA! That is a disgraceful thing to suggest. Only animals and the uncivilized would think to do such a thing."_

_She pursed her lips as she placed her napkin on her lap._

_--- "If you two would care to join us; as your father and cousin has just well pointed out, this is a home of the civilized; we dine at eight."_

_*****_

_After dinner was served and the "family" sat drinking their coffee, Mikkos looked directly at the quiet girl seated beside her beloved cousin. He took a sip from his cup as he contemplated the words to come out of his mouth._

_--- "Alexandra—"_

_As she had been for most of the dinner, she was lost in her thoughts (in fact, she never spoke at Cassadine dinners at which she was in attendance; the conversation typically centered around Helena and Stavros). She continued to imagine what her daughter was doing, whether she was asleep, being fed, or being bathed for a walk in the park on a lovely spring day wherever she was in the States… or at least she assumed that her cousin had arranged for her adoption to be to an American family. _

_She thought about the cutest outfits that she had passed in the stores while pregnant with her baby and daydreaming of the time they would share together, of what she would teach her daughter, and what her baby might teach her… about herself, about being a mother… about unconditional love._

_She had not heard a single word he had spoken to her. Stefan nudged her._

_--- "Alexandra—"_

_She felt intruded upon to have been shaken from such a sweet daydream, but she quickly realized where she was and regained her composure._

_--- "Yes?"_

_Helena pursed her lips as she stared at the girl, but chose to remain silent, as her husband appeared to be in his own contemplative mood. After a few moments, he stood and walked to the fireplace where an envelope had been previously placed on the mantel. He handed it to the girl._

_--- "In light of everything that has happened, I think it best that you start afresh; that you close the chapter to this past, and begin life apart from this… error in judgment."_

_He had wanted to call her pregnancy a mistake, but he knew that it was a sore topic for the girl as she would not, even in her quiet ways, allow anyone to call the child such a thing. Much as a mother bear would for her child, she, even at the tender age of fifteen then sixteen, defended the baby growing in her womb as though her life depended on it. While he had not been pleased with her situation, it certainly gave him some semblance of pride to see that she showed a passion for something aside from her books. In that way, he was certain he had not failed her._

_She opened the envelope and looked through its contents. She noticed that every page was marked with the name, 'Alexis Davis;' not one stated 'Alexandra Davidovitch.' There were new identification cards, birth certificates that replaced her previous name with this new one, her bank account turned over to this stranger; everything that she had had in her name was gone and replaced by this Alexis Davis. _

_She looked at the man in confusion. It was obvious that he was attempting to obliterate her entire existence, thereby erasing any association, regardless of how short, that she had had to her baby._

_--- "What is this? Why are you doing this?"_

_Her tears felt like acid in her tear ducts; she had vowed that she would never allow this man, or any other person in that room to make her cry again. Except Stefan; he dried her fallen tears; he never caused them._

_He heard the sound of her voice and knew that she was losing her battle of wills; he took her hand into his and gave it a squeeze._

_--- "Father, what is the meaning of all this? Why are you changing her name? You've—"_

_Stavros cleared his throat. He turned to his father._

_--- "Ah, is that what this is about? Father, pray tell, what lovely name have you chosen for our dear mouse? I must say that I've taken an absolute liking to the name, Whore? Wouldn't you agree mother?"_

_Helena leaned forward and gave her son a kiss on his hand. _

_--- "You are never wrong, my son. Mikkos, dear, what is this name you have chosen for this… thing."_

_Her distaste for her husband's ward increased since the announcement of her pregnancy, but tripled since she had given birth to her spawn. It sickened her that the girl would think she could feed off of the family for so long, and then bring into the world another being that would do the same to them. But for the protection her worthless son, and too generous husband provided for the girl, she would have ridded the earth of its impending problem._

_Mikkos retook his place at the head of the table; he would have no argument as to the matter. _

_--- "Stavros, if you would like to continue to have dinner in this household, I suggest you refrain from such language at this table. I will no longer accept such a level of disrespect to be passed to Alexis—"_

_--- "My name is Alexandra."_

_She spoke matter of factly as she stood and walked toward the exit of the room. While taking her baby from her arms and handing her to be raised by strangers was the most unforgivable thing anyone had ever done to her, his current attempt to wipe out all memory of the person she was… is… was downright malicious. _

_--- "No matter what you try to do, Cousin, you will never make me forget my baby. She exists. And even though you've taken her away from me and given her away like some thrift shop item—"_

_Stavros went to interrupt her, but Stefan, with a threatening look on his face, which demonstrated his absolute desire to throw his hot coffee into the man's face, pointed at his brother._

_--- "You let her finish."_

_Though Stavros was never one to back down from a good fight, he heard the ice from which each word and syllable of his younger brother's demand was formed. He smiled as he folded his hands in front of him._

_--- "Please continue, pet."_

_Alexis looked from Stavros to Helena, then Mikkos and finally to Stefan who nodded his head in encouragement. She knew she only had a few words remaining before she melted into a puddle in front of the people she hated more than her parents for dying and leaving her in the hands of such inhumane brutes._

_She swallowed hard as she finished her previous statement._

_--- "I know I haven't a choice but to accept what you've done, Cousin, but she's mine. She'll always be mine."_

_She walked out praying that she might not hit the waterfall until she entered her bedroom._

_**End of Flashback**_

She looked at her daughter sitting on the floor at the coffee table attempting to color in her coloring book of fairy tales, with one casted arm bent against her, while she painstakingly attempting to hold the crayon with her other casted hand. She watched as Sam attempted to hold the book in place by slowly coloring the picture; but having the use of only one hand, she became frustrated as the book continued to move in tandem with her own strokes of the crayons. The sight of her child unable to do such a simple task made Alexis sick to her stomach.

She walked over and sat beside the girl.

--- "Would you like Mommy to color with you, pumpkin-head?"

Sam shyly nodded her head. She put her crayon, which had taken a minute to sit comfortably in her little obstructed hand, down on the table and reached for the box. As she painstakingly attempted to lift the opened box to hand to Alexis, the crayons spilled all over the table. She looked at her mother with her tear-shaped big brown eyes that emoted the deepest pain and sorrow; like a well filling up with the afternoon rain, Sam's eyes did the same.

--- "I'm so stupid."

Her words were so soft and nearly said to herself, but her mother heard every word. Alexis gently lifted her daughter and sat her on the lounger so that she could better look at her. She wiped the fallen tears from her face before covering it with kisses.

--- "Let me tell you something Samantha—"

Sam, who had begun to sob at her inability to do the simplest task of passing a crayon, looked away from her mother. Alexis took her face in either hand and turned it to face her once more.

--- "I want you to look at me."

Her words were stern, yet loving; she needed her daughter to understand her. Slowly, Sam lifted her tear-filled eyes to meet her mother's.

--- "Baby, you are not stupid. You're hurt. You can only do so much right now, but you know what? When you get the casts on your arms taken off next week, and then when you get the one off from your leg a couple weeks after that, you will be back to normal again—"

Sam shook her head in disagreement.

--- "I believed."

Alexis frowned as she wiped the child's nose.

--- "Believed what, sweetheart?"

Her heart beat quickly as she realized her daughter was beginning to speak. She was unsure what Nikolas had done, but his visit seemed to have broken a portion of the wall Sam had built around herself. While she was not certain if she would ever see again the smiling and chatty child that existed just hours before their worst nightmare was brought to life, she was grateful to see an improvement after two weeks in absolute unresponsive silence.

--- "That."

Sam pointed to the picture she had been coloring; it was an image of a queen holding the hand of her little princess. Alexis' heart broke.

--- "Baby, I told you; this is a fairy tale."

When she noticed her daughter begin to cry once again, she lifted Sam up from the lounger, lied down, and placed her on top of her. If there was one thing that she appreciated from having a petite daughter, it was that she could hold her as much as she wanted, and for as long as she was allowed.

Sam hid her face in her mother's neck as she cried at her disappointment… her disillusionment with what she had hoped could be, but never was… most of all, she cried for the pain that it all had caused her… and her mother.

Alexis continued to speak as she made circular movements on her daughter's back.

--- "But that doesn't mean that the picture isn't entirely true. You're my little princess. I know everything is difficult right now for you, but you're mine. That's no lie. That's nothing for you to feel stupid about for believing because, my love, it is the truth."

* * *

Mikkos locked the door behind him after entering his office. He had gone to the bank and retrieved from a private vault paperwork for which only he had access. He placed the thick envelope on his desk before moving to the bar to fix himself a drink. His mind was reeling over the conversation he had previously had with Alexis. While he had created a world for her, never had he imagined that such would have been created for him.

There were many things that happened in his life for which he had no answers: things that had been done to him, things that had been said to him, things that had been given to him… people. Regardless, through it all, he took them all and made the best of the situations in which they had come about. He questioned them and the reason for their existence, but he accepted them nonetheless. That was the type of person Mikkos Cassadine was.

In his world, there were people; some did continuous good, while others did continuous bad. Regardless of their faults, Mikkos accepted them… in his way. Yes, some might say that he was cold, callous, or indifferent to the existence of others, but one could never say that he was judgmental. He allowed a person to do as they pleased without judgment, as long as it did not have a direct effect upon him, what he stood for, or his family name; such acts were unforgivable.

_**Flashback**_

_While sitting in his study reading that night, Mikkos received a phone call that changed the present course of his life. He listened carefully to the caller on the line before summonsing the pilot to get the jet ready; he needed to fly to England at once._

_As the servant held the front door open for him to leave, his wife descended the main stairs; he had not bothered to tell her that he was leaving._

_--- "Mikkos, it is nearly ten o'clock; where could you possibly be going at this hour?"_

_He wanted to tell her, but he knew that she would only be angry; he would tell her if need be. For now, a lie would have to suffice._

_--- "I have just received word that are Japanese counterparts have requested a meeting with me first thing in the morning at our Tokyo offices. The jet is waiting; I should be back tomorrow evening."_

_Although she did not necessarily believe him, and she was certain that he may have been carrying on an affair with another woman as it had been months since they had had any relations, she did not question him. After fifteen years of marriage to the man, Helena knew the truth always had a way of being revealed to her._

_--- "Well, have a safe flight dear."_

_He stared at his wife for a moment before nodding and stepping out to the awaiting car._

_******_

_Upon arrival at the hospital, Mikkos was quickly ushered to the appropriate room in the emergency room. The doctors informed him that he had arrived right on time as it was simply a matter of time. He thanked the men for doing what they could before taking a deep breath and stepping into the room with a man he had not seen in several years._

_--- "Hello Andreus."_

_The man removed the oxygen mask from his face as he opened his eyes to focus on the man who had spoken his name. In truth, he did not need to see his face, as his voice had not changed in the many years that they had been separated. Yet, he needed to see him; he needed to look into his eyes and in his last few minutes of his life, ask this man to look into his own heart and, despite everything of the past, to protect the most valuable thing he possessed._

_--- "Mikkos—"_

_Speaking was difficult, but he had to make an effort; he did not have much time remaining._

_--- "Thank you."_

_Mikkos stood at the door almost paralyzed. He always wondered what this day would be like, the day when he would see his younger brother dying, but this was not all that he had thought it would be. He remembered the last time that he had seen him, then more a boy than a man; he thought about the words of hatred that came out of his mouth as he told him that he was dead to him and banished him from his life. His mind was flooded with the memories of the numerous letters sent to the castle addressed, 'My Dear Brother;' he sent them all back unopened. There was nothing to be said to a dead man._

_And yet, there he stood in the hospital room with a man who had been dead to him for over a decade, dying before him. He was not happy. He was not relieved. He always thought that he would be dancing on the man's grave the day the Lord took him, undoubtedly before himself, and casted him down to damnation where his soul would burn for all the days of eternity. He was certain that the moment he saw his brother lying near death if not already dead, he would feel a sense of relief for all that he had done to him, for everything that he had cost him… nearly cost him. Instead, he felt as though a piece of him was vanishing along with the younger man's life, never to return again. He did not know how to reconcile this sense of loss with the anger that still raged within him._

_After what felt as though lifetime had passed, he finally gained the strength to lift his feet and move toward the dying man. He took his hand into his own and kissed it._

_--- "Brother."_

_For the first time since the day he kicked the man from his life, a tear rolled down Mikkos' cheek._

_--- "I'm here. I'm here for you."_

_Andreus opened his eyes once more as he felt the man's hand holding his own. He felt as though he was dreaming; never would he have imagined that he would be in the presence of his older brother again. He looked up toward the ceiling of the tiny hospital room and breathed a word of thanks._

_--- "I-I know that I hav-haven't a right to—"_

_Mikkos noticed that it was difficult for the man to speak, so he attempted to interject, but Andreus shook his head in disagreement. He needed the words spoken; he needed his brother to listen to his last request for which he was undeserving. _

_--- "Please… I have no… right to ask any-anything of you especially because—"_

_His words were slow, but Mikkos held onto each. He created a memory of the last things his brother would ever tell him; replacing the pitiful apologies of the past._

_--- "of what I have done, and… for which… I am—I am, and will always… be apologetic. While your forgiveness may be a result of my current state… I know that judgment is with God, and I can only hope… that he will forgive me my trespasses."_

_Mikkos wiped the tears from his brother's cheek. As Cassadine men, it was quite unbecoming to cry and show emotion, but they were not men of ice and stone; they were human._

_--- "I forgive you. I forgive you, Andreus."_

_Andreus began to cough as he became overcome with emotion. He had waited years to hear the words come from his brother's mouth. _

_Mikkos placed the oxygen mask over the man's mouth until he once again regained his composure. Andreus smiled in gratitude._

_--- "Thank… you."_

_He felt his life slipping from him, but he had so much he still needed to say. He had to fight._

_--- "My daughter… Na-natasha. Take her… please."_

_Prior to that evening, Mikkos was unaware that his brother had had a family: a wife and a young child. When the doctors contacted him, they informed him that there had been an accident involving his brother and his entire family; the wife died on impact, while the child suffered a head injury for which they were currently running tests. Despite the anger within him, it had hurt him to learn that his brother was suffering such a loss; he had never wished such pain on the man._

_--- "Take her?"_

_Andreus looked him directly in the eyes as he nodded his head._

_--- "Please. Help her forget… forget about me, her mother, our life together. I don't want her thoughts about herself to be of the sins of her father. Please Mikkos, she's an innocent child... no matter how much you may hate me… it's not her fault."_

_Pain surged through Mikkos' heart at his brother's words. He was right. It was not her fault. It was never the children's fault; they are blameless for the acts of their parents. It was true._

_He nodded as his tears reopened his old wounds._

_--- "Yes, yes, I will take her. I will protect her. She will not be harmed by the sins of the past. I promise you this."_

_Andreus smiled gratefully at his older brother. He closed his eyes as the memories of his life filled his thoughts like a video only he could view. All of the pivotal points in his life were replayed for him to see: his first word, his first step, his first birthday, his graduations, his honors, the death of his mother, then his father, his brother's wedding, birth announcements, his own marriage, the birth of his beautiful daughter. While certain parts played several times over, there were a few for which he felt both a sense of shame and pride; those defined the person he became… the person he was._

_He opened his eyes and looked at his brother._

_--- "I loved her."_

_Mikkos sat silently for a moment until he felt his brother give his hand one final squeeze before the machines sounded the alarm. Andreus Alexander Cassadine passed on to the other side._

_**End of Flashback**_

Looking at the contents of the envelopes, Mikkos shook his head as he wondered where he had failed. Where had he neglected to protect his brother's child? He changed her name, he gave her a new past, and he never informed her of their connection or of the existence of another Cassadine man. He treated her like the rest, yet differently because despite everything, through it all, Mikkos Cassadine showed mercy and she was an innocent.

* * *

Sam began to calm after several minutes of crying in her mother's arms. After spending two weeks in silence, she had not wanted to break in front of this woman, but she could no longer maintain the brick wall she had built around herself. Despite how much she had fought it, she loved this woman; she loved her mother. And while the prospect of being taken away again and perhaps given to the McCalls terrified her in more ways than she could ever say, being held and comforted by Alexis seemed to make everything better.

Alexis noticed that the girl had begun to calm. She was grateful; it hurt her more than she could have ever thought possible to see her child so lost and still unable to help her.

--- "Sammy?"

Her face was still buried in her mother's neck as her left arm was wrapped around her. She was not comfortable as her right arm remained in the sling unable to move and stuck between her mother's body and her own, but she did not want to lose her mother's embrace; she missed it.

--- "Yes?"

Alexis was relieved that her daughter was still speaking, she did not know how she would have reacted to find out that the child had again regressed to silence. She decided that she needed to do something to keep her stimulated and interested in speaking.

--- "How about you and Mommy have a movie night? Would you like that?"

Sam looked up at her mother with a smile on her face. She had always seen commercials for different movies, and while she had wanted to see them, the McCalls were uninterested in neither taking her, nor watching one as a family. This was a wonderful surprise. She nodded her head.

Alexis squeezed her daughter's dimpled cheek before covering her face with kisses.

--- "Good! Now, let's see, we're going to need popcorn, candy aaaaand…. water? Does my chipmunk want water with her popcorn and candy?"

Sam laughed as her mother tickled her belly.

--- "No!"

Alexis laughed with her daughter, happy to hear her replying to her questions.

--- "If not water, what does my baby girl want?"

Sam raised her eyebrows and she smiled and lifted her left arm to her mother's face. She tapped her little finger onto her nose.

--- "Juice."

Alexis took Sam's arm and pretended to bite her fingers.

--- "And I think I will have lady fingers and tomato sauce!"

The little girl laughed further as her mother began to tickle her once again. Any wall that had existed between the two was collapsing much like the Iron Curtain had in Europe all those years ago. The damage was not yet entirely repaired, but she certainly was exhibiting signs of reconstruction. Alexis could not ask for any more.

--- "Now, can you sit here for a moment so Mommy can get the food together?"

Sam nodded her head. Alexis smiled and gently lifted her daughter from her, placing her carefully onto the chair.

--- "I'll be right back."

She turned the TV on to a cartoon to keep her daughter occupied as she prepared the popcorn and gathered the candy and juice boxes. She felt as though Christmas had come early that year; she had a very special person to thank for his help with her daughter. Alexis dialed her cousin's number.

She smiled when he responded almost immediately.

--- "Alexis, are you alright? Is Samantha well?"

Her eyes filled with tears, but she kept them at bay for fear of frightening her girl whom she could see peaking at her over the side of the lounger. She spoke to him in French.

--- "Everything is wonderful Stefan, absolutely wonderful. She's speaking."

Stefan rubbed the back of his son's neck knowing that it was he who had gotten through to his cousin.

--- "My, my, it looks like my son has inherited my Midas touch!"

Alexis rolled her eyes at her cousin's response.

--- "Thank you very much King Midas. May I speak with the always handsome Prince Midas II? Or will he touching the phone simply turn it into gold?"

Stefan chuckled on the line.

--- "Now, Alexis, you are well aware that we are Cassadines; everything we own is gold. I'm afraid that the Midas touch in this respect simply heals the broken."

The ironic part of Stefan's joking statement was that it was in fact true; he always found a way to make her feel better, even in the most dire of circumstances. She would always be grateful for having him in her life.

--- "I think you're right. I suppose that's why I keep you around. Now, before your head inflates any larger, please put your son on the phone."

Stefan handed his son the phone and gave him a kiss on the top of the head.

--- "Agoraki mou, you did a wonderful job for your cousin today; Cousin Alexis wants to thank you."

Nikolas smiled as he took the phone from his father.

--- "Hello, Cousin."

Alexis immediately switched into Greek when speaking to her sweet cousin. Much like Stefan viewed Sam as his niece, she considered Nikolas to be her nephew.

--- "Oh, my love, you did a wonderful thing for my today, you know that?"

He blushed on the line.

--- "I didn't do anything, Cousin. I just spoke with Cousin Samantha."

She loved his modesty; he was quite the gentleman.

--- "And what did you speak about?"

He tapped his chin as he attempted to remember what it was he had told the clearly frightened girl. He remembered that she had laid her head on his shoulder as she began to cry. Being only five and quite frankly, finding girls to be disgusting, he had not known what to do about her sudden show of emotion, but he had not wanted to run away as surely that would have made Sam cry further. So, he had done what his father always did for him whenever he was sad or scared.

--- "She told me that she was scared. I don't know of what because she was home with you Cousin, and you are very brave. So I told her that when I'm scared I like to talk to Father; he makes everything better. He tells me about the Greek Gods and all of the hardships that they went through in their lives… um… like Icarus and Daedalus."

Alexis smiled widely as she imagined the little man recounting the tale of the young boy who flew too closely to the sun and drowned in the sea. It was not the most wonderful bedtime story, but Stefan was always one to walk to the beat of his own drum; he clearly passed this rhythmic beat to his mature son.

--- "Well, Nik, you did a wonderful job, and I thank you for it; Samantha is feeling much better."

He smiled at his father.

--- "I'm happy to hear that Cousin. Please send her my regards."

She laughed at the five year old sending his regards to his six year old cousin; she needed to speak to Stefan about allowing the boy room to be a child. Hopefully, as Stefan decided to move to the States, both Nikolas and Sam would learn what it is to be a normal child.

--- "Now, I'm going to wish you and Cousin Stefan a good night."

--- "Good night, Cousin."

--- "Goodbye, my love—"

Nikolas interrupted her as Stefan reached for the phone.

--- "One moment, Cousin, Father would like to speak with you."

Stefan laughed as he took the phone from his son.

--- "Alexis, you dare bid my son good night, but deny me the ability to speak with the beautiful bird of yours?"

--- "Oh, I'm sorry, Stefan! One moment."

Alexis brought the phone to Sam. She sat on the edge of the couch.

--- "Baby, Cousin Stefan would like to wish you a good night, okay?"

Sam nodded her head as she allowed her mother to hold the phone to her ear. She spoke quite low, but spoke nonetheless.

--- "Hello, Cousin."

Stefan squeezed his son's hand in absolute gratitude for what he did for his cousin.

--- "I am so happy to hear your little voice Raven. I knew you would come around again. I will not keep you, but I simply wanted proof that you had in fact emerged from your little nest high up in the tallest tree of the forest. I will see you tomorrow, my girl. I love you very much. Good night."

--- "Good… night."

Sam looked up at her mother as she bit her lip. Alexis kissed her cheek before going back into the kitchen.

--- "Stefan?"

He cleared his throat before responding.

--- "Yes, dear."

--- "I love you."

He nodded his head.

--- "As I you, ma soeur."

They each hung up the phone and looked at their children. They were the most precious things in their lives.

She took the bowl of popcorn, the candy and the juice boxes and placed them on the coffee table. She popped in a DVD of her favorite movie, _Annie_, and pulled her daughter onto the floor and into her lap.

--- "You, my love, are going to love this movie."

* * *

After the movie Alexis carried her daughter into their room, gave her a sponge bath, careful to not allow any water to seep through the plastic bags she put around Sam's legs and arms. Afterwards, she put her in a fresh pair of pajamas, and laid her into the bed.

She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at her daughter. She caressed the side of the child's face as she saw the light returning to the girl's once vacant eyes.

--- "I love you, chipmunk. I hope you always remember that."

Sam nodded her head; she believed what she had been told. She knew, or was beginning to once again believe, Alexis loved her, and she loved her back. The problem that weighed on her tiny shoulders was, however bigger than that: despite all of the love in the world, sometimes it was not enough.

Alexis brushed the stray hairs from Sam's little face.

--- "Did you have a good time tonight?"

She smiled at her mother.

--- "Yes."

--- "Good; that makes Mommy very happy."

She kissed her healing girl on the cheek before fixing the covers around her. As she stood up to move, Sam held, to the best of her abilities, her shirt; now that she was emerging from her shell, she did not want Alexis to leave her.

--- "It's okay, baby; Mommy just needs to put on her PJs."

She released her mother's shirt, and allowed Alexis to move to the dresser for a pair of pajamas. As she removed the sweats and t-shirt she had been wearing, Sam saw numerous scars along her mother's stomach and back.

--- "What's that?"

Alexis frowned in confusion as she noticed her daughter staring at her.

--- "What's what, chipmunk?"

Sam pointed toward her mother's bare stomach. It was not the first time that she had noticed them, but she could never before bring herself to ask. She wondered if like she had been, her mother was beat as a child.

--- "That."

Alexis followed her daughter's finger and realized that it was pointing to her. She looked down and for the first time in years, she noticed the scars that seemed nearly invisible to her. She closed her eyes as the memory surged through her. Feeling her knees buckling beneath her, she held onto the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly so that she might remain calm and avoid a breakdown in front of her already broken child.

It had taken years to fully come to terms with it all, but in one innocent question, she felt as though she were catapulted to the past. She could not crumble, not in front of her beautiful girl. She took another deep breath before reopening her eyes to look at her daughter who now looked as though she herself might cry for having upset her mother.

Alexis quickly slipped a shirt over her head before moving to her daughter. She took the girl's face into her hands as she smiled sadly.

--- "Oh, Mommy got into a car accident, just like you, when she was a little girl."

Sam bit her lip as she nodded.

--- "Okay."

Alexis gave her a kiss on the tip of her nose. She pulled the pajama bottoms on before crawling into bed with her baby girl. She laid her head onto Sam's pillow and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

--- "I love you, Sammy. Sleep well."

Sam sighed and closed her eyes; she fell asleep within seconds. Alexis watched her daughter sleep for some time before allowing sleep to consume her.

Since the accident, sleep did not come easily; when it did, it did so with a price. While she slept in fifteen-minute intervals, those short naps were usually filled with the worst thoughts and images: the McCalls returning and snatching Sam from her arms, Evelyn beating her to a bloody pulp, and the worst: her daughter dead and alone on the side of the road after the accident.

At the end of each progressively worse nightmare, Alexis would jolt from her sleep terrified that her daughter might be further torn, tattered, bloodied, or dead. Her heart raced as she turned on the bedside lamp, and looked over her sleeping daughter for more bruises and cuts on her body. She cried in relief every time she realized that she had been dreaming. She would lay her head back onto the pillow and watch her child chest rise and fall as she slept peacefully; the only signs of distress in her otherwise peaceful face were the murmurs and cries for her mother, at which point Alexis covered the child in kisses as she held her in her arms.

This night was different; she slept longer, and more peacefully than she had in weeks as she snuggled close to her daughter who was finally showing signs of recovery. She took in the sweet scent from her body wash, grateful that Sam was beginning to trust her again.

At some point in the middle of the night, however, she felt a finger slowly tracing its way from her foot, passed her thigh, up her side, then around her breast. She heard a heavy breathing by her ear, causing her to open her eyes; gazing back at her were the eyes she had spent years trying to forget. They were large and terrifying, yet beautiful at the same time; they were the most oddly shaped eyes that she had ever seen. They reminded her of raindrops in the process of hitting a puddle; they were a magnificent sight as the moon's reflection danced within them. And still, they horrified her more than she could have imagined.

--- "Hello stranger."

She wanted to scream, but as she made the effort, it seemed as though someone had turned on the mute button toward her cries for help. She blinked furiously to get the image to leave her thoughts, as she knew that it was not real… it could not be… but there he remained in the spot her beautiful daughter had previously occupied.

--- "You're not here… you're not real… this is in my mind."

He touched her, thereby proving that he was there with her. As he touched her and felt his way underneath her clothes, with every movement he made, she felt as though millions of bugs were crawling all over her body. He began to laugh as he watched her squirm, releasing a cool air that turned her skin clammy; before long, she was covered in sweat.

--- "Please."

She mouthed the words to the violator, but he disregarded them and stuffed her mouth with an unfamiliar object she was unable to see or make out through the darkness. She felt as though she might choke. She continued to blink, hoping that he would vanish as quickly as he had appeared, but to no avail. He was there to stay.

She watched him kneel onto the bed and without care rip her clothing off of her until she was lying there exposed. He stared at her naked body; it was a long awaited meal for which he would enjoy. He licked her from one end of the shoulder to the other, tracing the clavicle, then down the center of her chest, in between her breasts, to the navel. He moved his hand inside of her before removing it; he licked his fingertips.

--- "Beautiful and innocent… hmm."

A fury and rage filled those unique eyes; he punched her in the belly causing the wind to be taken out of her. Attempting to concentrate on her surroundings as opposed to the pain in her abdomen, she looked around the room for her daughter; Sam was nowhere in sight. She felt a sense of relief; her child had no business seeing her like this.

Noticing that her attention to him wavered, he removed his belt. But for blocked airway, she would have screamed in agony as she felt the belt buckle hit her hard against the rib reopening one of her scars.

--- "You thought you could forget me?"

She shook her head furiously. She had not forgotten; she had simply come to terms with it. He moved from the bed and unbuckled his pants. He slipped them off, tossing them aside without a care as to where they might land. He got back onto the bed and spread her legs apart.

--- "Even you can't ever forget your first."

As he forcefully entered her, slamming his hips into her, he pushed the muffle into her mouth further as her head jerked upwards shocked by the pain of her old wounds tearing open to his acidic-like touch. With each thrust, she felt bugs moving frantically inside of her. Even as she laid completely still praying that he would soon finish and leave, the sweat dripped from her body. She never thought she could once again be made to feel so dirty and violated.

Suddenly, feeling an impending eruption forming within him, he rolled off from her. He moved to the spot of the bed where she had first discovered him. He passed his hand along her jaw line and smiled.

--- "I'm always here with you."

He disintegrated before her eyes, just as the lava flowed forth. She blinked wondering if her eyes were once again playing games with her. They had been. When she reopened them, Sam was once again lying beside her.

Tears filled her eyes at the sight of her sleeping daughter. She wanted nothing more than to hold the girl, but she could not. She still felt his hands all over her, the scent of his flesh as he moved inside her, the sounds from his heavy grunts. Her scars from the beating he had given her burned from the sweat that covered her body. She felt the bugs crawling all over her, up her legs, moving inside of her, attacking her and making her feel as though some alien were growing inside of her. She wanted it out of her.

She ran into the bathroom and vomited the contents of her stomach. She prayed that whatever had been inside was also gone; she did not want it… she did not want whatever he had given her. She flushed the toilet and watched as the filth and waste moved counterclockwise down the mysterious abyss of the drain hopefully to never return.

She tore off her clothes, then looked her body over in the mirror while tracing her fingers over her scars. She never forgot. She scratched her sweaty skin as she turned on the shower. She stepped in and allowed the water to hit her; while it felt like millions of daggers piercing her skin in what seemed to be open wounds, she did not care. Nothing felt worse than the inability to stop the crawling sensation all over her. She needed it all to wash away.

After scrubbing her skin raw, she collapsed on the shower floor. She cradled her knees tightly to her, slamming her head against them, sobbing. She could not believe it happened again. For so many years she had shielded herself from men so that they might not hurt her the way she had been hurt that day; she had hidden her scars from the world. Yet, her own child, her innocent and beautiful child, reminded her that the past was never to far behind. She could not hide from it; that scared her. She sobbed a gut-wrenching sob as she felt the bugs move through her hair follicles. She wanted to die.

As she sat on the shower floor, she heard an echo of her own sobs. She calmed her tears, rocking and the slamming of her head, and listened; it was faint but she heard a continuous sob much like her own. She mustered enough strength to stand and turn off the water. Passing her hands through her wet hair, she listened as the crying grew louder… it was her daughter. The cries pierced her heart.

--- "Sam! Baby, Mommy's coming!"

She jumped out of the shower, grabbed her robe and slipped it on as she ran into the bedroom she shared with her baby girl. She crawled back into the bed unconcerned that she was considerably wet having not dried herself off before throwing on the robe. She turned on the lamp to get a better look at the crying girl. When she did, however she realized that Sam had not been crying at all; she was still fast asleep. Her ears were now playing tricks on her. She felt as though she were losing her mind.

She shook her head as she watched the child sleep. She adjusted the pillow underneath her broken foot, and the other pillow under her broken right arm. She passed her hand through the child's hair reminding herself that she would need to, with her cousin's help, wash it.

She then stared at her daughter as though it were the first time she had ever seen her. She began to cry once again upon the realization that those terrifying eyes that for months had haunted her dreams, were now her daughter's eyes... her gorgeous, but not so terrifying, eyes. Feeling a teardrop fall onto her own arm, Alexis smiled at the sight of her sleeping girl. She traced her finger along Sam's eyelids and long lashes.

--- "How can something so beautiful come from something so ugly?"

Her touch caused the child to stir in her sleep; she looked up at her crying mother.

--- "Mommy?"

It was the first time since the accident, that Alexis had heard those words from a conscious Sam. The sound of her daughter's voice caused the incessant crawling of her skin to stop.

--- "You're crying?"

Alexis nodded before lying down beside her; she gave her a kiss on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, careful not to get the child's cast wet.

--- "Mommy's crying because she was just reminded that you are the best gift that she has ever received."

Sam sighed as she fell asleep in her mother's arms.

* * *

**_Thanks for reading... Please Review._**

Remember, it takes HOURS to write an update, but 2 minutes to give your **opinion** on the chapter.. What did you like, dislike, etc.


	12. Breaking Points

Tissues at the ready.

Partially edited.

**Chapter Twelve**

**Breaking Points**

Alexis was exhausted. Ever since her vivid dream, she found herself more so unable to sleep than previously. Every time she closed her eyes, she grew terrified that she might see him once again lying beside her, taunting her about never leaving her and being with her always. When she would finally enter into a somewhat deep sleep, it was riddled with nightmares of him luring her to him with false acts of kindness; she woke up feeling like a fool each and every time. She took one or two showers in the middle of every night, feeling as though he were all over her, making every effort to hurt her more than the last nightmared encounter. His stench emanated from her skin, but despite how much she scrubbed, it remained; nothing helped her get him off of her mind. She felt as though she had been transported back to that day; it terrified her.

She sat in scalding water, hugging her knees to her, trying not to cry too loudly so that she might not frighten her daughter who was watching a movie with her Teddy Bear, Danny, in the living room. Her life, while for the relative, better, had changed dramatically in the past month. She had been in her final year of law school, the editor of law review, had a six figure paying job waiting for her, which would have finally enabled her to remove the financial hold the Cassadine family had had on her since she was made to live with them after her parents' deaths. More importantly, she had finally come to terms with closing the door on yet another past. She had finally fully begun to embrace her life as the unstoppable Alexis Davis, but her daughter yanked her back into Alexandra's life and the painful memories associated with the poor orphan's life. Although she did not for one moment regret her daughter in her life, she was afraid.

* * *

Helena jolted up from her sleep to notice that she was alone in the bed. She looked around almost in a state of panic; where had he gone? While she and Mikkos were not the lovers they had once been, she still preferred his cold presence in her bed rather than none at all. As hard of a woman as she could be, she never cared for the size and darkness that made up their master suite; such an atmosphere led to thoughts she would have rather forgotten. Such an atmosphere led her to a feeling of being buried alive, or alone in a grave… she could not handle it. Considering the largeness of her room, it seemed strange to have such thoughts, but there they were nonetheless; she felt as though she were suffocating and there was no one to help her.

She slipped out of the bed, reached for her robe, and made her way downstairs. She figured that her husband had not left the house as his own robe and slippers were missing; she knew he must have been once again in his study.

She walked the long way from the master suite to the study hearing the sounds of laughter fill the air. It was not the type of childish laughter of children at play; instead, it was more so the antagonistic kind of a young boy who did nothing in his life, but strive to please her by emulating her distaste for the unwelcomed visitor in their home. The empty halls, the quiet, the darkness filled her with a sorrow so gripping it seemed as though it had only been yesterday, rather than five years, that he was taken from her. As she walked the halls, her heart felt heavy; her beautiful boy, the love of her life, her pride, and her joy, was no longer. She missed him terribly; she felt blessed to have had him choose her to be his mother.

_**Fla**__**shback**_

_Theirs was a love affair seen only in the books. He, a member of the great Cassadine family, the owners of Europe's leading steel manufacturing company, was taking over the corporation and quickly attaining transcontinental notoriety as a savvy young businessman. He was both Greece and Russia's most eligible bachelor. And yet, he met her, in Prague on a warm, but rainy spring afternoon in a café a few blocks from Charles University where she was studying to be a doctor… a cardiologist to be precise. She, the daughter of the great Cristof Benedikt Komensky, owner of the largest energy producing company throughout Czechoslovakia, was attaining her own fame in her field of medicine. As an impeccably mannered aristocrat, she was every man's dream, but as an intelligent, independent, and at times, quite arrogant, brain, she could be his nightmare. _

_She sat alone reading a medical journal, too immersed in the article on new developments to surgical techniques used on the heart, to notice the random patrons around her. However, as though by some spark of kismet, she looked up at the exact moment he walked into the café shaking his umbrella of the rain. She was intrigued._

_He was a sight to see, the epitome of the 'tall, dark, and handsome' type. He wore an expensive tailor-made grey suit, with impeccably shined black shoes. His tie was black to match the darkness of his eyes. They were of such a dark nature, one could easily get lost in them; she was sure to be one of its many inhabitants. His hair looked as though it were made of the finest black silk, cut only for the robes of the Gods. His stature was regal, even in suit, his body appeared muscular. He was, in one word, extraordinary. She was in love._

_As she noticed him, he too noticed her. The moment he walked into the café, closed his umbrella, and placed it into the stand, his eyes were directed to what he was certain must have been a heavenly vision seated alone at a small table. Her long blond hair was tied back by a scarf, without a single strand out of place. Her lips were painted with the softest pink lipstick to match the rouge on her high cheekbones, which were like the most beautiful hills he had ever seen. His eyes traveled over her hills and focused on the green orbs that made up her eyes. They were the deepest green, such as that found in an Amazonian rain forest; they were capable of holding the world's mysterious creatures and wonders. She was the definition of perfection; he was enamored._

_He fixed his collar and brushed away any droplet that may have landed onto his attire. He needed to meet this young woman. He walked over to her with a smile on his face revealing sparklingly white teeth so bright they were blinding on such a cloudy day._

_--- "Hello."_

_As he approached her, she smelled the soft, yet musky scent his cologne; she was entranced. She smiled sweetly at him before replying in the most sensuous voice she could muster, raising an eyebrow as spoke._

_--- "How do you do?"_

_And it was in the simple exchange that two of Europe's great families were merged._

_Unfortunately, a year after they exchanged their vows, tragedy threatened their happy union. There as they made haste down the long steps of the Cassadine mansion in Russia, she was in labor._

_--- "It's too soon, Mikkos!"_

_His heart raced, as he knew she was correct; she was barely seven months along in her pregnancy. He saw fear in her eyes._

_--- "It will be alright, Layna."_

_This was his nickname for her. He gave her hand a squeeze._

_--- "Our children are strong! They will be fine."_

_She looked at him praying that he was right; she could not lose their children. The moment she learned she was carrying her husband's children, she fell more deeply in love with him, and therefore in love with the lives growing inside of her._

_--- "Mikkos—"_

_She screamed out in pain as another contraction tore through her. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up at the man steadying her from a painful fall to the ground._

_--- "Please—"_

_She had attempted to be strong, but the pain was too much for her. He nodded his head and carried her toward the awaiting car._

_--- "Layna, I promise you, the children will be fine. They come from the two greatest families; they are strong and they will make it."_

_She buried her face into his chest breathing in his scent as she breathed out the pain._

_--- "I lásku vám."_

_She told him she loved him before passing out from the pain._

_******_

_Upon arrival at the hospital, Helena was taken in for an emergency caesarean section. Mikkos, while he was far from a religious man, he nevertheless believed in God, and prayed often that the happiness that he found with his wife would remain. He had never loved another more than he loved Helena; when they had learned that she was pregnant with twins, he feared that his heart was not large enough to love them all the way they needed. Perhaps this was his retribution for doubting the gift that had been bestowed upon him._

_He knelt down before the crucifix and stared at it for quite some time before bowing his head. He did not know what to say. Should he have apologized for being ungrateful? Should he have pleaded for the lives of his children and wife? Should he have bargained for one life over the life of two, or two for the life of one? He did not know what to do; he simply knew that he wanted nothing more than to see three pairs of eyes looking at him when he walked into the hospital room. Yes; that was what he would pray for._

_But before a single prayer could be uttered from his lips, the nurse appeared._

_--- "Mr. Cassadine?"_

_He wiped his fallen tears before turning to face her._

_--- "Yes?"_

_--- "Your wife is in recovery."_

_The look in her sympathetic eyes was enough to indicate to him that the news was dire._

_--- "And my babies?"_

_She shook her head._

_--- "I'm sorry—"_

_Without waiting for her to complete her sentence he ran out of the room in search of his wife; he needed to be with her. This was a nightmare._

_He ran down the halls until he found her lying in the bed with silent tears rolling down her cheeks holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. He smiled at the sight, believing that he had misunderstood the nurse. He walked up to the bed and sat down beside his wife._

_He took his finger and ran it through the child's lightly colored hair; undoubtedly she would look like her mother when she grew older. _

_--- "She's beautiful." _

_She had been staring at the child's little face since he had walked in; she wanted to stare at her baby forever, but she knew that she never could. She looked up at him with tears freely rolling down her cheeks. She stared into his eyes wishing that she could lose herself within them so that she would not have to face a future without her children. Alas, she could not; this was her reality._

_She shook her head as she stopped him from caressing the child's cheek. There was no point; their baby could not feel it._

_--- "Mikkos—"_

_He looked back at her. For the first time he noticed what he had been afraid to see and what he had been unwilling to hear._

_--- "My Layna—"_

_He carefully moved to wrap his arm around her, but she just as carefully, attempted to push him away from her. _

_--- "She's gone!"_

_She felt as though she were suffocating as she held the still child in her arms._

_--- "She's gone."_

_He took her face into his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs. He then gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, allowing his own tears to fall and connect with her own._

_--- "Our Sofia Alexis Cassadine."_

_She laid her head onto her chest as she continued to sob._

_--- "She is so beautiful—"_

_He ran his fingers through her hair, kissing the top of her head._

_--- "Just like her mother."_

_They remained that way for some time holding their dead child, rocking her, kissing her cold little cheeks, and telling her how much she was loved. Finally, when the time arrived for the couple to turn the child over to the hospital until arrangements could be made for her burial, Helena quietly handed her over to the workers. She lied back onto the bed without a word, allowing Mikkos to wipe her tears. _

_--- "Layna?"_

_She knew what he wanted to ask._

_--- "He's tiny. They don't think he'll survive through the night. He can't breathe on his own, he's hooked up to many machines."_

_The blow to his heart was hard; they could not lose their son, too. This was the result of his doubt. He would doubt no longer._

_--- "He will live—"_

_She shook her head. She was a medical professional; if he survived, he would certainly suffer numerous developmental delays. She did not want that for him; it would have been best if he joined his sister in heaven._

_--- "Mikkos—"_

_He put his finger to her lips._

_--- "We will not doubt; our son will fight because he is a Cassadine man. He is destined for greatness."_

_She simply nodded her head and closed her eyes; the effects of the drugs were taking their effect on her._

_******_

_They named the baby Stavros, meaning cross, in honor of the crucifix his father attempted to pray before the night of his birth. He remained in the hospital for two months, fighting to remain alive; he was not yet ready to leave the earth. However, afraid to become attached to a child whose fate remained uncertain, she spent very little time visiting him. She was more often found at the cemetery bringing flowers to her little girl, talking to her of what could have been, of what should have been, and of who she would have become. She poured out her heart of what she would have wanted for her little Sofia and of what she envisioned of her life and their lives together. None of this was fair._

_On the day on which she was to have given birth to her little angels, Mikkos found her once again seated at their daughter's grave. He was angry. He had been patient with her and allowed her to grieve, leaving him to tend to their son's care, but this was too much, their son was now home for the first time, and she did not seem concerned._

_--- "Helena—"_

_She was preoccupied with brushing the fallen leaves from the tiny tombstone to notice that he had spoken to her. He forcefully took her by the shoulders and lifted her to a standing position._

_--- "Enough with this!"_

_She could not believe he would be so harsh with her… in front of their child._

_--- "Mikkos, please lower your voice; you'll wake her."_

_Seeing the pain in her eyes, he softened. As difficult as she found the hospital to be, his daughter's gravesite was as painful for him to visit._

_--- "I apologize, but Layna, she's gone. You have to let her go."_

_She looked from him down to the ground under her feet where her child lay rotting away into dust. _

_--- "I can't."_

_He lifted her chin._

_--- "You have to; there's nothing you can do for her. Our son needs you. You have to be his mother because I can only do so much, Layna."_

_Her eyes welled with tears until a sob escaped from her lips. She leaned into him and allowed him to comfort her._

_--- "I wanted so much to give you a little girl."_

_He blinked away the tears that threatened to escape; he wanted to remain strong for her._

_--- "You've given me a son, my love. As much as I would have loved our beautiful Sofia, she's playing with the angels. She's looking down on us and wondering why we've left her brother alone."_

_His last comment caused her to cry harder; she never meant to abandon their son. She wanted to be a good mother to him… to both of her children, but she did not know how; it was easier to tend to one who was already gone, than one who was as delicate as a flower._

_--- "I'm sorry—"_

_--- "No apologies."_

_He released her so that he could place a kiss on his daughter's grave._

_--- "My Sofi, Papa loves you very much, but Mama and I must attend to your brother."_

_He smiled sadly at the little grave before standing to face his wife._

_--- "Are you ready?"_

_She shook her head. She turned once again to look at her daughter… at her tombstone._

_--- "Goodbye, my love."_

_It took everything in her to walk away, but her husband was right; she had to be a mother to the one who needed her._

_He held her hand as they walked into the house, up the staircase, and into the nursery where their son was waiting. She slowly stepped close to the crib to see him looking around. He was a beautiful combination of his father and her. _

_--- "My Stavros Tomas Cassadine, you are by far the most handsome little man I have ever seen."_

_Mikkos moved to her side._

_--- "And what does that make me?"_

_She leaned her head onto her his chest as she continued to marvel at her son's beauty._

_--- "You are everything."_

_Stavros looked up at his parents and cooed before smiling for the very first time. In that moment, Helena fell in love with her little boy._

_**End of Flashback**_

She entered Mikkos' office to find him pouring over several documents. She shook her head in annoyance, as she believed him to have left their bed to work. She had told him on more than one occasion that she did not like for him to leave her, and for thirty years he had obliged her, but now there he was, ignoring her wishes.

--- "What are you doing Mikkos?"

He looked up at her in confusion as he had not heard a word she had asked him; rather, he had not even realized that she had entered the room.

--- "I'm sorry?"

--- "I asked you what you were doing down here I woke up and you were gone—"

Seeing the trepidation and sorrow in her eyes, he immediately regretted what he had done. In fact, he had been leaving the bed every night for the passed week. He would sit in his study for hours staring at the files that presently lay on his desk. He would return to the bed merely minutes before she was due to wake. He did not think that she would have noticed.

--- "I apologize; I couldn't sleep and I did not want to disturb you."

She had noticed the bags forming under his eyes.

--- "I see. And what, pray tell, is keeping you awake at night?"

He was not ready to disclose such information to her until he got down to the bottom of the situation.

--- "Alexis and this school business… I just don't understand what has gotten into her."

She knew all too well that he was lying to her, but she decided to remain quiet; she always learned of everything that needed to be learned in due time.

--- "Hmm—"

He looked up at his wife.

--- "I know you too well, Helena. In fact, seeing as I have the painful wound from your—"

He stopped speaking when he noticed the pained look in her eyes. He looked at the calendar and noticed the date. It may have been the middle of the night, but it was still the next day; it was the thirty-second anniversary of the day on which their twins were to have been born. He closed the file and walked toward the woman.

--- "Are you alright?"

She glared at the man she had once loved deeper than she had ever though imaginable.

--- "I'm surprised you even realized what today was; you're too preoccupied with your _Alexis_."

She stressed the young woman's name with such venom the girl must have felt it slicing through her veins from across the ocean that separated them.

Mikkos, on the other hand, knew that he had made a severe error in judgment by giving the girl the name of their beloved child, but when he had looked at her, so intelligent, calm, gentle, and beautiful, he imagined that Sofi would have been like her. He could not allow his only daughter's name to go for so long without use.

--- "I would never forget, Helena. Believe it or not, I love our children; all of them."

He attempted to wipe the single tear that rolled down her cheek, but she stood up and walked towards the bar. She poured herself a glass of water.

--- "You never cared for Stavros; I think you would have liked for him to have died instead of Sofi. Actually, I think you would have preferred them both to have died."

He did not have a single idea from where all of this was coming, but he certainly did not like it; she never before reacted in such a hostile way on the anniversary of the day on which the children should have been born. Usually, she was quiet and uncharacteristically emotional. On those days, she remained in their room, with strict instruction that she was not to be disturbed, or would make her way to the cemetery where both Sofi and Stavros were reunited. The anger he saw in his wife's eyes was unusual for the day.

--- "I treated all of the children in this house equally—"

She threw her glass across the room.

--- "They were NOT equal, Mikkos! Sofi and Stavros meant the world to me; they were all I needed. I never wanted that other one! And I certainly could have done without… her in my house."

Mikkos saw the fury in her eyes; he knew better than to push the conversation any further. He walked over to his wife and held her hand for a moment, before pulling her into him.

--- "I'm sorry, Layna. I'm so sorry."

There were but three days in the year on which she would ever allow him to see her cry: this day, the actual day of their children's birth, and the day of their son's death. While he was concerned about Alexis, he missed the days when he and his wife were close; he therefore took advantage of the rare opportunities when he could comfort her.

They stood together in his quiet office allowing the ice that had formed between them over the years to be melted away by her tears. He would worry about his niece later; for now, he wanted nothing but to hold his wife.

* * *

Stefan, using his key, let himself into the apartment. He made it a habit to stop by every day with breakfast, lunch or dinner, as he did not think it safe to allow his cousin to cook for his little raven who, as he noticed, was quietly seated on the couch watching television.

He set the bags down onto the counter and approached the child.

--- "And what are we watching?"

Sam turned from the television to smile at the man; she was quickly growing as attached to him as he was to her.

--- "The Little Mermaid."

He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

--- "May I sit with you and—"

He pointed to the bear knowing its name, but hoping to continue to engage her in conversation. She nodded her head.

--- "Danny."

--- "Ah, yes, that's right. Hello Danny."

He took his seat beside her, careful to mind her still casted leg. She moved into him, prompting him to lift her onto his lap. He gave her a little hug.

--- "Ah, The Little Mermaid; is this another of the fairy tales you like?"

--- "Yea."

She resembled her mother in many ways, but there was something more to her. He stared at her for a moment, as her eyes remained glued to the television. He took in her dark eyes and hair, along with her button-like nose. He thought about her personality and how similar it was to Nikolas'. Although the boy was quite formal, this was attributable to his upbringing. He was still, like Sam, shy with those whom he was unfamiliar, yet quite verbose, playful, and displayed a vulnerability with his family. It amazed him how easily the children could pass for siblings rather than distant cousins.

--- "So, where's Mommy?"

She took her eyes off the television to look up at the man.

--- "She's taking a bath."

He frowned slightly at the way in which she replied to him. He sensed there was more to what she was saying, but being that she was still recovering, she was unwilling, or unable, to elaborate.

--- "And so I see, you are being a big girl and sitting out here watching a movie by yourself while your Mommy gets pretty?"

Afraid that he might ask her about her mother's strange behavior, Sam squeezed her bear tightly and nodded.

Stefan gave her a kiss on the top of the head. He had been watching Alexis for the past week since she had finally spoken to Mikkos; he noticed significant changes in her appearance and personality. She was tired, with bags underneath her eyes, and she looked as though she may have been losing weight. More discouraging, she barely laughed anymore. She was typically, even in times of stress, quite bubbly and jovial; she was different this time. The glimmer in her eyes was quickly fading.

She attempted to hide her upset with rather small chuckles, and shy smiles, but he was always able to read his cousin; there was not much that she could hide from him. There was something that occurred in the past week that she was keeping from him. If he wanted to help her, he would need to know what it was.

--- "So, my little raven, how are you doing today?"

Feeling more comfortable with the conversation, she loosened the grip she had on her bear.

--- "Fine."

Her actions indicated to him that she knew something about her mother's behavior. If he wanted to attain any information on his cousin, he needed to be tactful.

--- "How are your little wings now that they've fully mended?"

Knowing he spoke of the casts that had just finally been removed from her arms, she lifted Danny in the air for him to see. She twirled the bear around to display her regained range of motion. When she was done, she once again held her bear to her and rested her head against the man's chest.

--- "I couldn't do that before. I can't color for long because my hand gets tired."

He took her hand into his.

--- "Well, that's because they were in casts for so long."

She nodded.

--- "Mommy said it would take a few days to get strong."

He tapped her little hand and held his out for her.

--- "Squeeze my hand."

She looked up at him in confusion, but he kissed her forehead and nodded in approval. She did as she was told. He let out a scream.

--- "My goodness! It looks like my raven is already pretty strong for having a minimal amount have of her strength returned. I suppose I should be terribly afraid of you in a few days."

Sam laughed at his poor attempt at having been hurt by her act. She leaned back into him and continued to watch the movie. He hated to interrupt her once more, but he believed she had just given him an in on finding out about her mother's behavior when he was not around.

--- "Samantha, can you tell your Cousin Stefan how Mommy is? Is she sad? Happy?"

Alexis, who had been watching the exchange, did not appreciate her cousin questioning her daughter about her, but she also wanted to hear the child's response. While she attempted to shield her distress from her daughter, but she was certain that she was failing terribly. She cried everyday, at night, and possibly in the little sleep she managed to get each night; Sam must have noticed. For a child as clingy as her daughter, Alexis believed that Sam must have seen the look of desperation in her eyes, so much so that she allowed her a few moments alone to once again scrub her body raw in the shower. She hated what all of this was doing to the girl.

She watched as Sam squeezed her bear tightly for a moment before poking the man in her arm. In that moment, Alexis knew that her daughter noticed her standing in the entryway. She went to turn back and hide in their bedroom to wipe her fallen tears, but Stefan caught her escape.

--- "Lex, are you alright?"

She quickly wiped her eyes before turning around to face her cousin. She smiled slightly.

--- "Stefan, you're here."

He noticed her puffy red eyes; she had been crying for some time.

--- "As always."

He looked her over from head to toe. She appeared worse that day than she had the previous day; there was something weighing heavily on her mind and he did not like it.

--- "If you'll excuse me saying Lex, but you look like—"

He covered Sam's ears before continuing.

--- "Shit."

Alexis rolled her eyes before moving toward the kitchen area.

--- "Yes, you certainly are a man of great manners and formality, Stefan. I appreciate the compliment. Sam, baby, were you good for Cousin Stefan?"

Sam smiled up to the man before looking at her mother who returned a smile to her.

--- "Yes."

Alexis looked from her daughter to her cousin; it astounded her how different Stefan was to his brother. Where Stavros was cold, cruel, and heartless with everyone outside of his mother, and to some extent his father, Stefan was sweet, gentle and caring. Granted, his personality was only seen by her, as Mikkos was himself too cold to notice, and Helena was too wrapped up in her own life and ensuring that her prized son was, when the miserable wretch was alive, happy, to be interested in who Stefan was as a person. He was always her backbone; she hoped that she had returned the favor to him on more than the one occasion.

--- "That's my good girl. What do you want to drink with your breakfast? Milk or apple juice?"

--- "Apple juice, please."

Stefan moved Sam from his lap and onto the couch. As he went to leave her side, she grabbed his hand; now that her mother was back in the room, she wanted to be by her. He obliged and carried her to the kitchen area. He placed her onto a stool and turned to Alexis.

--- "When was the last time you slept?"

She once again rolled her eyes at him as she set the plates and cups onto the island.

--- "Um, last night?"

He shook his head at her knowing that she was not being entirely truthful.

--- "I suppose I should rephrase my statement. When was the last time you slept for more than ten minutes at a time, Alexis?"

She went into the refrigerator so as to avoid his scrutinizing stare. It was her greatest annoyance that this man knew her inside and out. She placed the bottle of apple juice in front of her daughter.

--- "Look, I'm a light sleeper, Stefan, you know this; I wake up for everything especially now since—"

She switched into French so Sam would not understand her.

--- "I have my daughter with me. Look at her! Up until yesterday, she was unable to do anything for herself; she still can't walk because the cast is passed her knee. When she needs something I gladly wake up and take care of her."

Stefan was not buying her excuse for one minute. She was keeping something integral from him, and for that reason she was becoming increasingly defensive.

--- "Please! You're hiding behind her! I can tell something is bothering you! Goodness, look at your eyes! If I didn't know you so well, I'd think you were sick, but I do, and you've been crying."

She let out a deep sigh.

--- "Stefan, can you please just drop it? I look like this because I wasn't feeling well last night; I had an upset stomach, so I tossed and turned."

He knew they were not going to go anywhere with this conversation, at least not until her daughter was out of the room; he decided to loosen up on her, as he did not want to add more stress to her already heavily burdened shoulders. He smiled and reverted into English as he poured Sam a glass of juice.

--- "Perhaps it's all that unhealthy American food you like to consume and feed this beautiful little girl, who, I must say is finally putting on weight."

She smiled from Stefan to her daughter who was intently watching her every move. She lifted her from the stool and covered the girl's face with kisses, causing her to laugh.

--- "I love you, Chipmunk."

Sam took her mother's face into her hands and gave her a kiss in return before resting her head on her shoulder. It was moments such as that that allowed Alexis to forget about her tortured nights. She gave her a kiss and placed her back onto the stool.

She reached into the bag to see what her cousin brought them for breakfast. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she laughed aloud.

--- "Sammy, aren't we grateful that instead of the unhealthy American meals we stuff our faces with each day, Cousin Stefan decides to bring us bacon and eggs. This is so Greek of him; shall we thank him?!"

Sam, holding her mother's shirt in her hand, turned to the man.

--- "Thank you, Cousin."

He pointed at the pair amusingly before reaching into the bag.

--- "You two think you're funny!"

He placed two yogurts onto the counter.

--- "And you are very welcome."

Alexis gave him a kiss and a hug. She held onto him for a few seconds longer than ordinary. He was her backbone and she was falling apart; she was grateful to have him.

--- "Thank you, Stefan."

* * *

After watching the remainder of "The Little Mermaid" with Sam, Stefan decided, since Nikolas had a few more hours of instruction, to stay with the ladies. While Sam fell asleep with her head in her mother's lap, at the beginning of "Beauty & The Beast," Alexis soon found herself resting her head on her cousin's shoulder; she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

_**Flashback**_

_Stefan and Alexandra exchanged emails several times a week. Being quite chatty and interested in sharing the new things that she had learned and applying them to random situations, her emails tended to be quite long. She would go into detail about every activity of which she took part. She was so vivid in her descriptions, at times he found himself imagining himself at the exact place, in the exact time, and at the exact moment a certain event occurred. He looked forward to hearing how happy she was at her school, and away from the verbal and at times physical abuse they grew up with at the Cassadine Estate._

_However, over the passed few months, he noticed that the emails were not only decreasing in length, they were fewer and number, and lacking in the descriptive value to which he had grown accustomed. When he did not receive a response to his email questioning whether or not she was doing well, he immediately knew something was wrong with his beloved cousin. _

_She had received the email, read it numerous times, but knew not of a way to respond without cluing him into the fact that everything was not fine. She did not know how to convey into words the fact that she had not only been raped… she could not even say the words out loud, let alone like at them in writing on a computer screen… but that she was also carrying the spawn of the devil incarnate inside of her. How could she tell this man, whom she looked upon as a brother, that at fifteen, she was carrying something, not even someone, that turned her stomach inside and out; her own body realized that it had been invaded by something so evil she could not keep down anything she forced herself to eat. There were no words to describe the hate she felt for her body's intruder. There was no way she could write any of this in a casual email. In some ways, she knew that by not responding, he would come to her. He knew everything about her; he would figure it all out without her having to explain the dirty details of what had been done to her._

_And to a certain extent, she was right; when he did not receive a response to that email, or the one he sent afterwards, or the one after that, and she failed to respond to her phone calls, texts, and voicemails, he knew that she was waiting for him to come to her. And so he did._

_The moment she heard the knock at her dormitory door, she knew that it was he. She slowly moved from the desk to the door. She quickly glanced at herself in the mirror. She was not sure why she had even bothered; no matter what she did to conceal it, he would undoubtedly know that she had been crying. She sighed deeply before opening the door._

_The moment she saw him, she collapsed into his arms. She had spent several months being weighed down by this secret; she was happy to see the face of someone she loved so deeply, and whom she knew, loved her back. She could no longer shoulder the load alone. She had to let it go._

_--- "I'm so happy you're here."_

_He was shocked to see her so upset. He held her tightly, and led her back into her room before anyone noticed her upset. _

_--- "Alexandra, you must allow me to close the door."_

_She was slightly embarrassed by her reaction to seeing him that she quickly released him and turned away to grab a few tissues to wipe her tears. She had not expected to become so emotional when he arrived._

_--- "I'm sorry, Stefan."_

_He turned to face her. For the first time he realized what had been troubling her; she was pregnant._

_--- "Alexandra—"_

_He was at a loss for words at seeing his fifteen year old cousin several months pregnant._

_--- "What… How… Goodness!"_

_Seeing his reaction, her eyes once again began to well with tears. They began to flow more and more quickly as she began to hyperventilate. Stefan quickly grabbed her inhaler that he knew she kept in her nightstand drawer. He led her to the bed and handed it to her._

_--- "Breathe."_

_She regained her composure. She looked at him with tears rolling down her cheeks._

_--- "It wasn't my fault!"_

_He nodded his head, as he wrapped his arms around her. _

_--- "I believe you."_

_He was not sure how something such as this could have happened to someone so engrossed in her education and her books. In no email had she ever disclosed to him that she was interested in any boys. In fact, she attended an all-girl school; with whom of the opposite sex was she associating who could have done this to her? _

_--- "Alexandra, who did this?"_

_She shook her head in despair; she could not get the words to leave her mouth. _

_--- "Stefan—"_

_He took her face into his hands._

_--- "No, Lex, I certainly did not do this to you. I want to know how this happened to you!"_

_She stared at him willing her mouth to form the words. She wanted this burden to leave her. She wanted someone else to know what had been done to her. She wanted the thing inside of her to leave and to never return… Just as she thought she could finally tell him what had happened to her, she felt the intruder move for the first time. Previously, while it was silent inside of her, she knew that it was there because it haunted her dreams._

_This was different. In the five months she had hated it, it never responded. It never moved. In fact, it never made its presence known to her until that moment as she sat there beside her concerned cousin. She did not experience any morning sickness, or any aches and pains; but for the missing periods, she would have gone several months, until her belly began to show, without any knowledge that something was growing inside of her. _

_As she sat there holding her belly shocked by the feeling of movement, she questioned how she could possibly hate something that neither caused her initial pain nor further pained her. It sickened her that she had so profoundly hated something that did nothing to her. Was that not how she was treated throughout her life? She could not feel that way about another person._

_She looked deep into her cousin's eyes._

_--- "It wasn't supposed to happen, but it did… and I… I think I love it."_

_Although he was not sure what to think about her response, and he was certain that his worst nightmare for her might have occurred, because she had come to terms with her predicament, he accepted it. He would do everything necessary to ensure the health of both his cousin and her child._

_**End of Flashback**_

Alexis jolted from her sleep to find her daughter missing. Her heart began to race.

--- "SAM!"

As she ran towards her bedroom, Stefan came out with a finger to his lips.

--- "Alexis! It's okay. Both you and Samantha fell asleep during the movie; I put her to bed."

She looked at him incredulously. She pushed passed him and into the bedroom.

--- "Sam, baby!"

She nearly collapsed when she saw him lying beside her sound asleep daughter, decaying and reeking of a rotting corpse, caressing her cheeks.

--- "She's beautiful, our girl."

The stench in the room was overbearing; she wanted to vomit. First, she needed to save her child.

--- "Let go of her!"

He gave Sam a kiss on the cheek before turning his attention back to Alexis.

--- "She looks so much like us both, don't you think?"

As he smiled, she noticed that maggots had replaced his teeth. One detached itself from his decomposing gum and onto Sam's arm. Alexis felt as though she could no longer breathe.

--- "Oh God."

She began to run to her daughter, but Stefan held her in her spot.

--- "Alexis, stop!"

She struggled in his grasps. She could still see him touching their… no, HER daughter, as though he were a loving parent. She could hear him humming to the sleeping child, and whispering soft Greek and Russian lullabies to her. She wanted to grab him and beat him to a pulp; she wanted him away from baby.

--- "LET GO OF ME, STEFAN! HE'S GOING TO HURT HER! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?!"

Stefan's heart raced as he saw his cousin having a breakdown right before his eyes. He had never before seen her in such a state of hysterics.

--- "Alexis, there's nobody there! There's no one there! Look at her."

She blinked away the tears that had begun to blind her. When she regained her vision, he sat up in the bed, soil falling from the holes in his skin as he moved.

--- "I'm always with you, my pet."

He blew her a kiss and disappeared.

She felt as though she were losing her mind; Stefan had to have seen him. This was not in her mind! He was haunting her.

--- "Stefan—"

She collapsed onto the floor.

--- "He was here! He was here."

Noticing that Sam had awoken from the commotion her mother has caused, he knelt down beside Alexis and allowed her to cry. As he rocked her mother, he looked into the little girl's frightened eyes; he finally saw it. Seeing Sam clutch her teddy bear tightly with tears streaming down her cheeks, he finally understood what his cousin had been afraid to tell him all those years ago. It made him sick to his stomach.

--- "It was him; wasn't it?"

The only confirmation she gave him was a muffled sob into his chest.


	13. The Sins of Their Fathers

I know I said this wouldn't be back until after May 11th… well the muse decided otherwise. I've been writing it each night after studying until I finished… I'm actually in the library right now. LOL. Took a break to finish this.

Your comments and questions are of course appreciated.

**The continuous posting onto this site of this story is contingent upon interest.**

**UNEDITED**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Sins of Their Fathers**

He stepped off of the private jet and walked directly to the car waiting for him. He was not sure he should have left her as she was still so fragile, but this needed to be done.

_He held her in his arms. She sobbed long and mournful tears of a person who had lost… no who had been robbed of the most precious possession she had ever owned. _

_He looked at her, 15 years old and pregnant…_

_He looked at her, 16 years old and alone…_

_He looked at her, 22 years old and broken…_

The man held the door opened for him.

--- "Good Afternoon, Mr. Cassadine. It's wonderful to see you once again."

Stefan nodded his head in agreement at his regular driver.

--- "Thank you, Alec."

The man noticed that Stefan was alone. He had been informed that his boss had decided to relocate to the States; but he was sure that upon hearing of his return, he would bring young Nikolas along, if only to say his goodbyes. It was disappointing.

--- "And how is Master Nikolas?"

He smiled at the mention of his son. He knew he should have brought him along, but this was not a social visit.

--- "He is quite well, thank you."

Alec closed the door once Stefan stepped into the car; it was clear his mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.

--- "I'm very happy to hear that, Mr. Cassadine. The staff is anxiously awaiting your return—"

Stefan interrupted him.

--- "No, actually we need to first make a stop elsewhere; I have a decrepit old bone that I must snap."

The driver viewed the man through his rearview mirror. He simply nodded his head.

_She was his painting comprised of a multitude of colors, layers, and themes. They shared a common history, a common story, all painted on the same canvas. She was deep and mysterious to all who saw and perhaps knew her, but no one really knew her; not the way he did. He knew her better than anyone. He knew her inside and out; he knew everything about her… or so he had thought. His painting, which hung high against a wall above all others torn and taped… torn and retaped… without him knowing, was finally shredded into thousands of pieces. _

_He wondered at 15… _

_He suspected at 16…_

_He knew at 22… _

He did not know how he missed something so big in the young woman's life. He looked out the window as the car passed over the bridge overlooking the vast Cassadine Estate. To the outsider, this 'home' was one's dream; how lucky it must have been to live there with servants at your feet, the finest wines, and the most exquisite meals prepared by the top chef in Greece? Oh, if only they knew the hell that existed behind those gates that separated the family from the common masses.

_--- "Alexis, you have to compose yourself."_

_He held her as she continued to sob in his arms. He rocked her back and forth kissing the top of her head, and offering words of consolation. While he had suspected what had happened to her all those years ago, he never brought it to her attention as she had appeared to have come to terms with it. He saw how much she had loved her baby in spite of how she came to be; he could never taint the child's existence, even in the care of others, with questions of what must have been her mother's worst experience. Asking no further questions, he, as his cousin had done, closed the book and placed it onto the barely reachable top of the shelf._

_--- "Alexis, I know that this isn't your intention, but you're scaring her; you're scaring Samantha. You have to get up and you need to reassure your daughter that you're alright."_

For years they lived in that house being verbally and physically abused by both Helena and Stavros. It was as though the two lived off of his and Alexis'… Alexandra's…. misery. Why did it seem implausible to him that his brother… ugh, he used that word loosely… might take the further step of sexually abusing her? Why did it seem so out of the realm of possibility that someone so ignorant and feral as Stavros might harm someone so beautiful and innocent as she? He felt like a fool, and worse, he felt like an accomplice to her assault; he had underestimated Stavros' acts of hate at her expense.

_She grasped firmly to his shirt. She looked directly into his eyes._

_--- "She's not a monster."_

_He looked from her to the tiny child lying perfectly still in the bed; she seemed almost afraid to even breathe for fear that her mother might further slip into delirium. He smiled at her so that she might know that everything would be alright; he would not allow her mother to slip further away from her. She stared back at him with eyes so familiar he could not understand how he had missed them._

_--- "No, my dear, she is not. She is a beautiful little girl who is fearful for her mother right now. You have to compose yourself—"_

_He realized that he was asking much of her, but he knew her and of what she was capable. She beat considerable odds in her life to allow the ghost of an animal bring her to her knees; he would not allow her to give Stavros such satisfaction… even in death. Stefan was prepared to battle that man for her soul._

_--- "Stefan, I can't! He's coming for her!" _

_He held her face in his hands. He stared into her eyes._

_--- "He will not touch her. Do you hear me?"_

_Tears continued to roll down her cheeks. _

_--- "How—"_

_Using his thumbs, he wiped them away._

_--- "Darling, he's already dead." _

--- "Mr. Cassadine?"

--- "Yes?"

He had been so lost in thought that he did not realize that the driver had pulled up to the house and had opened the door for him. He quickly stepped out as he was unsure how long the man had been standing there.

--- "Thank you, Alec."

--- "Would you like me to pick you up at a certain hour, sir?"

He was unsure of how long this might take, but he would be damned if he spent the night in that dungeon; although the man continued to live in Greece with his young son, it had been approximately five years since Stefan had stepped foot onto Cassadine Island. He planned to say his peace, procure the information for which he had made the trip, then leave and never return again.

--- "Please stay within calling distance; I'm not certain as to my departure time, but I cannot imagine I'll be here for very long."

The driver nodded and closed the door once Stefan had cleared it.

--- "Very well, sir."

Stefan approached the house as though her were entering the dragon's lair. From a distance, the island was beautiful, warm, and inviting, however once one stood at the door, it was evident that one had been duped. There was no love or warmth there. The stone columns elicited more warmth than what could be found inside the home. This was a place filled with anger, despair, and secrets of which he was there to unravel.

He rang the doorbell seeing as he no longer had a key; the butler promptly arrived. He was, to say the very least, quite shocked to see the youngest Cassadine man standing at the doorstep.

--- "Master Stefan! It is an absolute pleasure to see you once again."

Stefan had always been kind to the staff; in essence, they had raised him and treated him more like family than those with whom he was actually related and share blood. He smiled and extended a hand to the man who had taught him to tie his shoe.

--- "It's wonderful to see you again Peter. How is the family?"

The butler took the man's hand with both of his own.

--- "Everyone is doing quite well, sir. I am sure your little one is quite grown?"

Nikolas had just been born when Stefan left… or escaped… from the home.

--- "Yes, he's five years old and quite intelligent for his age."

The man did not realize that he had never released his former master's hand. Petter, being of service to the Cassadines for over three decades, had watched Stefan grow up from infancy. He had witnessed his 'mother's' deplorable neglect and his 'father's' absolute indifference. Having a young son of his own, whom he had not spent nearly as much time with as he would have liked, he easily took Stefan under his wing.

--- "Life is not the same here without you or Miss Alexan—"

Stefan cautiously eyed him; the walls had ears. It had always perplexed him why the name was not to be spoken in their home and his father was quick to make it seem as though that quiet girl did not exist; now he questioned whether the man knew what his eldest son, the heir to the fortune, had done. It disturbed him how fiercely people of such low moral character fought to preserve the high honor of their shameful Cassadine name. If only the vast public knew of the surreptitious ways in which this 'family' operated; it was nothing but a house of cards awaiting a gentle breeze to blow and collapse it upon itself. Stefan prayed that when that die finally arrived, he would have the honor of witnessing his mother, and his father, if he were in any way involved in this cover-up, buried beneath the rubble; perhaps in that way they would know Alexis' pain.

--- "_Alexis_, Peter, is doing very well; she asked that I send you her regards. Now, if you'll excuse me I must pay my mother a visit I am certain she unhappily awaits."

The old butler finally, with some embarrassment, released Stefan's hand.

--- "Well, I hope you are successful in your endeavors here, sir."

--- "Success is relative, isn't it? Thank you."

Stefan, with a mission on his mind, steadily and confidently walked towards the library. It was seven in the evening; she would be nowhere else awaiting the clock to strike eight so that she might enjoy her dinner alone and in silence. In the most grandiose fashion imaginable, he widely opened both doors to the large room allowing them to slam against the wall, lest she fail to notice his arrival.

--- "Hello, Mother."

* * *

_There was a knock at her dormitory dorm. She wondered who it might be as she had not yet made any friends at the school seeing as it had only been a few days since she had arrived. She put her books on the desk and walked to the door._

_--- "Yes?"_

_--- "Miss Alexandra?"_

_She slowly opened the door as she realized speaking through it was quite rude._

_--- "How may I help you, sir?"_

_He smiled kindly at the girl._

_--- "Mr. Cassadine asked me to pick you up."_

_Her heart jumped. She was beyond grateful that Mikkos had decided to send her to the states for schooling. While he claimed it was to further her education, she knew that he sent her thousands of miles from the country she had come to know as home for one reason… well, two reasons… he was protecting her from further abuse at the hands of his wife and elder son. Although she was happy to be away from their evil clutches, such distance meant the same between she and Stefan. It had only been three days, but she missed him terribly. She was overjoyed at the thought that he might miss her too._

_--- "St—"_

_He interrupted her._

_--- "He asks that I take you to his hotel room. He had meant to come by and get you himself, but unfortunately, he was otherwise indisposed at a meeting."_

_She smiled happily as she grabbed her jacket and the key to her room._

_--- "That's not a problem…"_

_--- "Ronald."_

_She nodded._

_--- "Ronald, thank you. I'm happy to accommodate his schedule seeing as he came here to see me!"_

_He stepped aside to allow her to lock her door._

_She smiled and looked at the city's scenery as Ronald drove her to the hotel. She was happier than she had ever been; she had, in fact, spent months away from her cousin, but this had been the first time she were so far from her that a car ride or train ride could not have easily bridged the distance between them._

_--- "Alright Miss, he's in room 808."_

_She nodded her head as she stepped out of the car._

_--- "Thank you, Ronald."_

_--- "You're very welcome."_

_She walked into the extravagant hotel, found the elevators, and took it to the eighth floor. She found the room and knocked on the door, but careful to not do so in a way that might have the man tease her for her excitement._

_Unfortunately, when the door opened, her joy quickly turned into fear and astonishment. _

_--- "Hello, pet."_

She felt his arms around her waist gripping her tightly; she was terrified that he might tear her clothing from her body again. She forcefully pried the arm from her.

--- "GET OFF OF ME!"

And then the sound of the whimper resonated through her ears, shattering her as she realized that she had been dreaming about him again; unfortunately, with her outburst, she managed to terrify her still traumatized daughter. She attempted to pull Sam, who moved as far away from her mother on the bed as she could without falling off, back into her arms; the girl resisted.

--- "I'm sorry, baby. Mommy just had a scary dream."

Sam clutched her teddy bear to her. She shook in fear that at any moment her mother might spank her as Evelyn always had.

--- "I'm sorry—"

Alexis extended her hand to wipe Sam's tears, but the child flinched; it hurt her to realize that her behavior had had such an effect on her daughter. She needed to get her nerves under control; she could not raise her little girl in a fear-filled home.

--- "No, you don't have anything to be sorry for, chipmunk. It's Mommy who's sorry; she shouldn't have yelled at you."

Sam wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

--- "Do I make you sad?"

Alexis looked at the child who, despite having been created through the most horrible of circumstances, meant the world to her. Now that she had been in her life for several weeks, she could no longer remember what her life had been like without having her there. It astounded her that there had been a time when she was able to function without her baby girl.

--- "You could never make me sad, Sammy. NEVER."

Sam loosened her grip onto her bear. She looked attentively at her mother. Although the woman attempted to smile in her presence and act as though everything were fine, Sam was not stupid; she had experienced enough strife in her life to recognize the pain behind her mother's laughter.

--- "But you cry all the time… I hear you."

She sat up in the bed so that she could better look at her daughter.

--- "Oh honey, I do cry, but it's not you who makes me sad—"

--- "Then who?"

Alexis tried once again to bring her daughter to her; this time she was successful. She held the girl against herself as she leaned back against the headboard. She thought about how she would possibly tell her child that the person who made her cry from the time she was as small as she, was the corpse that haunted her dreams, thoughts, and reality; in fact, he was standing in the corner of the room watching her… watching them. She closed her eyes to block him out and concentrate on her child.

--- "Baby, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that even when I am sad or crying, only you can make me feel better—"

--- "Cousin Stefan helps."

Alexis laughed to herself; she loved that her daughter had become attached to the man who protected her for the entirety of her life.

--- "That's true, Cousin Stefan helps; he's always good at making Mommy smile, but that's not it. It's you, Sammy; having you here with me makes everything so much better and that's the truth. Even if Stefan could make me smile and laugh, I'd still be sad if I didn't have you with me. Do you understand me?"

Sam nodded her head.

--- "I don't like to see you sad, Mommy. It makes me sad, too."

Alexis let out a deep sigh before kissing the top of the girl's head. She had been so enwrapped in her nightmares that she never imagined that her false smiles and façade of happiness might be so transparent as to Sam that she might too be affected. She had never wanted Stavros' hate to touch her daughter and yet it seemed through her own actions that it had.

--- "Well, you know what? You don't have to worry about Mommy, okay? She's going to be just fine. She might be a little sad sometimes and cry, but she doesn't want you to feel the same way; she wants you to be happy. Do you want to know why?"

Sam looked up at her mother.

--- "Why?"

Alexis cupped the girls face into her hand ignoring the man who stared intently at her; he would not ruin this moment. She had allowed him too much power in her life; for the sake of her daughter, it was going to stop.

--- "Because you, my little chipmunk, you make me happy. When you smile, I have to smile because then I know that you're fine and you're happy being here with me. When you laugh, I laugh because your laughter is incredibly infectious; I love it almost as much as I love you."

--- "Really?"

She kissed her daughter on the forehead.

--- "Really. You are my world, honey, and I only want to see you happy. Okay? Don't worry about me when I cry; just know that when I'm with you, my tears are instantly dried."

Sam put her bear down and wrapped her arms around her mother's neck.

--- "I love you, Mommy."

Alexis eyed Stavros as he smiled at her. He put his finger to his eye and dragged it down his cheek, mocking the moment she shared with _her _daughter. She stared him in his decaying and rotting eyes daring him to come any further. When he failed to move as though glued in his place, she smiled and made a gesture she would not have dared make to the man when he walked the earth.

_--- "F*ck you, Stavros."_

He seemed rather amused by her candor. While he would have loved nothing better than to smack the air of bravado she had developed over the years out of her, he simply blew her a kiss.

_--- "That you did, my love. Take care of our little chipmunk, little mouse."_

With that, he disappeared. She held her daughter tightly, reminding her how much she loved her. She was going to get through this hellish torture the dead man insisted on putting her through; she would never become his victim.

* * *

Mikkos continued to go through the paperwork he held in his private files concerning Alexis. He had done nothing but attempt to protect her throughout her life, but it seemed to him as though with every effort, he failed miserably. Regardless of everything he had done to save her, he only caused the young woman more pain.

He had taken her in against his best interests, and perhaps even her own, but he could not deny his brother's dying request. He should have known the problems that would follow the innocent child upon entrance into his home, but he disregarded all forms of logic; he replaced them with his own selfish desires. A part of him had looked at her as a reincarnation of his little Sofie; having her there could have been a chance to raise the daughter he and his wife had lost. He had hoped that she would fill the hole the still-born baby had left in their hearts. So he, in Sofie Alexis' honor, had renamed his brother's child, Alexandra.

In doing so, as he sat there going through the amount of paperwork he had accumulated throughout her life, another part of him knew that her very existence in their lives, regardless of her name, had been his grave error; that was the starting point of the egregious wrongs he had committed in her life.

_**Flashback**_

_Helena slammed the door behind her as she stormed into his office after the children had been put to bed. She could not believe that it was possible for him to anger her more than he had several years prior; and yet he did by bringing that child into her home._

_--- "How DARE you, Mikkos! How dare you bring that child into this house for me to raise!"_

_He had been awaiting her arrival; he knew that she would not take his decision lying down._

_--- "She had nowhere else to go, Layna—"_

_She scoffed at his excuse._

_--- "That's BULL and you know it! That child could have gone to her mother's family; she did NOT have to come here—"_

_He thought about his dead brother._

_--- "I couldn't turn him down."_

_She slammed her hand on his desk._

_--- "I do NOT want her here, and you need to send her to those people. I won't have you have me raising—"_

_He quickly stood. There was nothing she could say in the matter; this was his brother's child, his home, and his decision as the head of the household. He knew she did not like it, but that was the way he ran their home._

_--- "You will, Helena. That child has just lost her parents and she is still recovering from her injuries from the accident. She's an innocent child who needs a home."_

_She shook her head in disgust at her husband. They had long ago lost the passionate flame in their relationship, but she had expected better of him than this. She never thought that he could ever reopen her wounds by having that child… this Alexandra… in her home. It was cruel; in some way she had expected better from him. _

_She stared at him for a moment._

_--- "Do you hate me this badly, Mikkos?"_

_He walked around the desk so that he might come face to face with her. He looked into her eyes; he saw anger, hatred, and buried below, hurt. He gently put his hands on her shoulders._

_--- "No I don't."_

_She looked at him in another light; he was not the man she had married and loved. He was someone she did not recognize… no, she did recognize him, and that's what further fueled her anger. She furiously pushed him away from her; he had no right to touch her._

_--- "You son of a bitch. I hate you more than I had ever thought possible."_

_He was shocked by her admission. Despite the difficulties of their marriage, his love for her never fully wavered; after everything they had gone through, it simply changed. Alas, he was not sure if it had been for the worse or the better._

_--- "You don't mean that—"_

_She slapped him hard across the face until she saw his face transform into one more appropriate for his current actions; she was disgusted._

_--- "I mean every word. I have EVERY reason to hate you. That child might be here, but I will not raise her. You may change her name so that she could be like my daughter, but she is not. I will NOT now raise your daughter!"_

_He held his face in shock as he watched her storm out of the room as quickly as she had entered. He wondered if he could turn back the hands in time and refuse his brother's request._

_**End of Flashback.**_

Unfortunately, he could not. He had, in seeing how miserably the girl was treated, attempted to do just that by handing her baby to the people who should have raised her mother, but the damage had already been done. In taking the girl into his home, he had sealed her child's fate; he just did not understand how.

* * *

_--- "Daddy, look at me!"_

_The young four year old slid down the slide head first, giggling as her father caught her just before she fell to the ground. He lifted her into the air as she squealed in delight; her two deep dimples highly visible as she smiled widely at the man she admired. She was a Daddy's girl._

_--- "You're my brave little girl, Natty."_

_She laughed as he brought her to him. She took his face into her hands and gave him a kiss on the nose._

_--- "I want to go again, Daddy!"_

Alexis sat on the bench amusingly watching her daughter play with the other children. She was unsure from where that memory had come or why she had been called 'Natty,' but it made her smile; she wondered if her life had been, at one point, as carefree as she was creating for her daughter. She watched as her daughter climbed to the top of the ladder; she waved in her direction.

--- "Mommy, look!"

She smiled as the child slid down the slide for what appeared to be the forty-fifth time. When she landed on the sand-filled ground, Alexis flagged her over.

--- "Come here, chipmunk!"

Sam, who had never before been to a park, was in heaven. Since she and Alexis had been cooped up in the house for the past month as a result to her casts, this was a welcomed change now that she had been freed of them.

With her face lit up with a smile, she ran to her mother; this was the happiest she had been in a long time. This had truly gotten her out of her shell.

--- "Yes, Mommy?"

Alexis held a bottle of water opened for her to take a sip; it was obvious she was out of breath. It amazed her how different the girl was from a month prior. Sam, while still rather small for her age and could easily pass for a four year old rather than a six year old, was finally at a decent weight, the bruises that had once riddled her body were all gone, and any other physical sign of abuse she once had had all disappeared. Although she continued to carry her emotional scars, she was nevertheless healing from the trauma inflicted upon her by the evil of the McCalls. She did not think she had ever, in the time she spent with the girl, seen her smile and laugh so openly.

--- "Take a sip."

Sam let her mother hold the bottle as she drank from it. Alexis wiped the sweat from the child's brow.

--- "Are you having fun?"

The girl hopped onto her mother's lap.

--- "Uh-hmm. But Nikolas… he… he doesn't know how to have fun. He keeps saying he wants to read!"

Alexis laughed and gave her daughter a squeeze. Nikolas, like Sam, had never been to a park; Stefan never found the point in having a child run around getting themselves filthy when they could certainly find better ways to occupy their leisure time.

--- "Well, that's probably because he's not used to this."

Sam leaned into her mother. They both watched the young boy playing in the sound box; he looked quite bored.

--- "I've never been to the park either! I'm still having fun! Can I go on the swing?"

She kissed the top of her daughter's head.

--- "Let's see if Nikolas wants to go too."

Seeing as the boy had been watching the two from his seat at the sandbox, he made his way over to them once he noticed they appeared to be leaving.

--- "Cousin Alexis, are we leaving?"

His face was incredibly hopeful; she felt horrible that she was on the verge of disappointing him. She wanted to smack her beloved Stefan for not showing the child how to have a good time.

Before Alexis could respond, however, Sam, holding her mother's hand, answered for her.

--- "No! We're going to swing. Are you going to come with us or are you going to read?"

_--- "She's so much like me, my dear."_

Alexis closed her eyes and counted to three; she wanted his voice out of her head. The little girl's emerging personality shocked her; the child, who had always been calm and quiet, was sassing her younger cousin. She knew he was taunting her, willing for her to react to his hauntings; she would not give into his provocations. Instead, she pulled the girl against her, tapping her lightly on the chest.

--- "Samantha—"

Sam smiled up at her mother with raised eyebrows.

--- "Hmm?"

Alexis could not resist the child's cute smile; she bent down to kiss her on her forehead. She spoke softly, yet sternly so that the girl might know certain attitudes would not be tolerated.

--- "Chipmunk, that's not nice. Your cousin doesn't have to like being at the park; it's not for everyone, you know. Now, apologize to him."

Sam pressed her face into her mother's leg; she hated that she had disappointed the woman. She felt the tears forming into her eyes, but she did not want them to emerge. Without moving an inch, she mumbled to the young boy.

--- "I'm sorry, Nikolas."

The boy went to reach for a tissue in his pocket until he realized that Alexis had purchased pocketless sweatpants for him to filthy as he played in dirt. He put his hand onto her shoulder.

--- "It's alright Samantha. I suppose you're right; I think I would prefer to read. This just isn't much fun."

Alexis smiled at her young cousin's mature sincerity towards her upset daughter. She lifted Sam into her arms; the girl hid her face into her mother's neck.

--- "Nikolas, we're going to leave soon, but we're going on the swings. Why don't you come with us?"

The boy, although displeased with his cousin's decision to remain at the park, reluctantly nodded his head.

--- "Okay."

She passed her hand along his chubby cheek amazed at how easily he could have passed for her daughter's _older _brother; alas, now that she was able to admit what had happened to her, it dawned on her that the two children were first cousins and Stefan was her daughter's uncle.

--- "Come on, silly goose; it'll be fun."

--- "Can we first call Father… please?"

Alexis frowned.

--- "For permission? Honey, I don't think Stefan will mind… entirely… that you're going on the swings. I mean, you are with me; he trusts my decisions."

The boy shook his head; his father had left the night prior for a business meeting in England, but he had not spoken to him since. Although a busy man, Stefan had always made time for his son; he refused to raise him the way his father had raised him. There was never a day in which the boy did not know that he was loved and the first priority in his father's life. Having not spoken to his father in nearly twenty-four hours, Nikolas missed him.

--- "No, I just… I just would like to speak with him."

Since he was always far more mature for his age than any standard child, Alexis tended to forget that the boy was only five.

_--- "I want my Daddy; I don't know you."_

_The little girl had tears in her eyes as the man handed the nurse an outfit in which to dress her. She did not know this man who stood before her informing her that she would be going to live with him. This man had entered her room at the hospital and informed her that he was her uncle; she did not want him. She wanted her mother to hold her, but most of all, she wanted her father to reassure her that everything would be alright. Where was he? Who was he?_

_--- "It's alright, Alexandra."_

_She frowned at the man. Who was he calling Alexandra? That was not her name, she was sure of it… but… but what was her name? She could not remember._

_--- "That's not my name!"_

_The nurse sympathetically looked at the girl. She knew that her parents had just died and she had suffered a head injury; the poor child was being forced to start a new life when she had no idea what her former life had been. Her young confusion broke the nurse's heart._

_--- "It's alright, honey. He's your family—"_

_She began to cry harder knowing that something was wrong, very wrong. How could she have an uncle, but not mother and no father? He could not be her family._

_--- "I just want my Mommy and Daddy… please."_

_He stepped closer to her bed. For the first time, he touched her; she flinched to his touch, but calmed when he grinned kindly. He looked familiar… perhaps like her father?_

_--- "I'm sorry, Alexandra; they're gone. They're not coming back."_

The memory flooded her brain just as the previous one had; she did not know what to make of it. She knew that her parents had died in a car accident when she was quite young, but she had blocked out all memory of them and the life that she had had with them. Her memory began the moment she walked into the Cassadine library.

_--- "The moment you met me."_

She wished he would leave her alone. His presence in her consciousness was causing all of this; she was not sure if she wanted to know all of this. As much as Nikolas wanted to speak to his father, she needed him too.

She pulled her phone from her back pocket and hit the first speed dial button; there was no one else she would have in that position.

She listened as the phone rang through until voicemail. She smiled apologetically at the young boy.

--- "I'm sorry, buddy, he isn't picking up."

She saw the disappointment in his eyes. She handed the phone to him.

--- "Leave him a message."

Nikolas sighed and took the phone from her. He cleared his throat before speaking.

--- "Hello Father, it's Nikolas calling. I was calling to find out if you arrived safely and were enjoying your time in London. I hope to hear from you soon."

Alexis, still holding an embarrassed Sam in her arms, took the phone back from the young boy before he could hang up; she spoke French into the receiver.

--- "Stefan, call your son; he's too proud to admit it, but he misses you… I suppose I do as well. I need to speak to you… I've been… well, I guess I can tell you when I see you. I love you—"

She leaned her head onto Sam's.

--- "Baby, do you want to leave a message for Unc—Cousin Stefan?"

She had not yet attempted to come up with a way to tell the girl that the man she had introduced to her as her cousin was in fact something more to her by reason of the way she had been conceived. She knew that it would not have made a difference to her six year old, but Alexis felt that in some way admitting the "truth" to the girl would put a burden onto her; she would not have been able to handle the child's questions concerning the sudden change in her familial make-up. So, she kept quiet.

Sam nodded her head and allowed Alexis to put the phone to her ear.

--- "It's Sam. I miss you too, Cousin."

Alexis hung up the phone and placed it back into her pocket. She looked at the two children both upset in their own ways. The mood had been ruined for the swings; she could tell they wanted nothing more than to return home… she felt the same way.

--- "You know, how about we buy some popcorn and watch a movie at home?"

While Sam, who Alexis could tell was not so much embarrassed, but tired, whispered in agreement, Nikolas grabbed his cousin's hand.

--- "Can we see _Avatar_?"

For once, he looked like a child his age. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

--- "We can watch whatever you want."

* * *

Helena was seated in the library reading quietly as she awaited the clock to strike eight for dinner. She enjoyed her silence and the peace that came with it. She was grateful that her husband did not put up airs that he loved her as she would not be forced to do the same toward him; they had had their time of love and play, but now she knew the truth. The only person who had ever shown any type of love toward her was her Stavros; he was all that she had ever needed.

--- "Hello Mother."

The voice came at approximately the exact moment in which the image of her dead son beaten and bleeding flooded her memory. She turned angrily at him… the cause of her pain and anguish.

--- "Get out of my house."

Stefan grinned mockingly at the woman. His heart was filled with hate. He had always wondered whether it was normal for a child to have such feelings of disgust and revulsion towards the woman who gave him life, but it did not matter; the feelings were requited.

--- "Oh, is that how you speak to your beloved son?"

She stood up to face him. She hated the mocking look he gave her. If she could have flown over the chair to smack the look from his face, she would have; instead, she threw the book she still held in her hands at him. It disappointed her that had just missed him.

--- "You are NOT now, nor will you ever be my beloved son. You are a disappointment and a disgrace, _Stefan."_

While he was used to her disparaging words, they never ceased to stab in his heart. He had no feelings of love toward the woman, but to be told by his _mother_ that he, a man who had never failed in his life, was a disappointment and disgrace, was hurtful. Nevertheless, he never gave her any indication that that she had wounded him. He could never allow her such satisfaction. Instead, he sneered at her with the anger his dear cousin could never display toward her.

--- "If I, a man who has established himself in the Cassadine Corporation apart from my father's—"

She rolled her eyes. He continued.

--- "—name, is a disappointment and disgrace, what would you call Stavros?"

She squinted her eyes at him wondering in what direction he was taking this conversation. She would not tolerate any word of disrespect to be spoken against her son; she would kill for him and for his honor. She walked around the table toward the desk closest to him.

--- "I would call him my pride and joy. I would call Stavros the best thing that had ever happened to me. I would call my son everything that you are not: honorable, trusting, loyal, protective—"

He smirked at her delusional sentiments concerning the dead man.

--- "Rapist."

She felt her temper rising; she attempted to control it.

--- "My son was NOT what you say."

Stefan let out a laugh that echoed throughout the large room. He knew his brother and his mother well enough to know that any harmful act he had done against Alexis and to some extent to him, Stavros was quick to run to Helena for approval. There was no way the boy did not do the same once he raped Alexis and taunted her for months afterwards calling her vicious names and threatening to kill him if she ever told him what had happened. No, Helena knew exactly what happened six years prior; she simply wanted confirmation that _he _was aware of what had happened to his beloved cousin.

He moved toward her; he wanted to see the devil's reactions up close.

--- "The hell he wasn't, Mother. You know damned well that that bastard—"

She pointed a threatening finger in his direction.

--- "Be careful. You're treading think ice; I don't think you want to fall in."

Stefan, tossing his head back, crossed his arms and laughed.

--- "You have threatened my life more times than I can count. In fact, your threats were so frequent, they were more like words of endearment."

--- "Don't tempt me; you won't like the result."

He shrugged his shoulders and continued to pace in front of her.

--- "I don't know how I spent all of these years ignorant of what he had done to her. How did I not know that he, a man with such a low sense of scruples, had _RAPED _an innocent girl such as Alexis… no, ALEXANDRA? Your son, MOTHER was a raping _Monster!_"

The ice broke beneath him. She pushed him against the wall holding a letter opener she had retrieved from the desk to his neck.

--- "YOU, my _dear BASTARD _son, are the MONSTER—"

The door once again swung open; it was Mikkos. He had been walking past the library when he heard his son's voice. As he stood there watching the scene, he was not sure as to what he should be shocked: the fact that his son had returned to their family home, the fact that his wife held his life within her hands, or… no… that was not it.

--- "HELENA! LET HIM GO!"

She sneered in her husband's direction.

--- "Ironic you should say that to me _now_, Mikkos; I asked you to allow me to do that YEARS ago!"

Stefan looked into the woman's eyes. He wanted, if she were to kill him dead in that moment, to have her stare into his eyes and know that he would haunt her until the day she burned in hell.

--- "You've hated me from the moment I was born—"

Helena shook her head.

Mikkos rushed toward his wife before she could make any sudden moves. He gripped her weapon-possessing arm tightly.

--- "Let him go, Helena! I will NOT allow you to kill him."

She struggled against the grasp he had of her arm. She finally gave up and dropped the sharp letter opener.

--- "You should have let me kill him from the moment he was conceived."

She forcefully pushed Mikkos away from her and raged from the room leaving the two men to stare at each other.

Stavros' ghost sat at the desk chair laughing at the men.

* * *

**Back to studying.**


	14. Hauntings

Many thanks to those who've wished me well on my studies and to those who took the time to review. Your thoughts and observations on the chapter are inspiring in this stressful time. Why am I writing updates while studying? If I don't, I'll certainly lose my mind; this is a great study break for me. I am, however… there has to be a different word to use other than exhausted, but that's what I am. Blah.

Enjoy! Please keep your reviews coming!

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Hauntings**

Refusing to move forward until his two cousins walked through the door, Nikolas, as a young gentleman should, held the apartment door open for the ladies.

--- "But Cousin Alexis, you said we could watch whatever I wanted! Can't we try another store?"

Alexis and Nikolas had been having this same discussion since she had purchased new movies for the children: the entire _Ice Age_ series and _The Princess and The Frog_. She had searched for _Avatar_ at three different stores, but to no avail. Because of the popularity of the movie, it was not only sold out, but the salesman informed her that it would probably remain that way for the next week to come. In addition, he informed her that it was a PG-13 movie and perhaps unsuitable for _her_ young children. Such an admission caused the mature boy severe heartache.

--- "Nikolas, this conversation is quickly becoming circular. Shall we simply not watch the movies we picked out for you and watch instead the one Sam chose first?"

She switched to Russian so that her daughter would not understand her. She was teaching the girl Greek and would move onto Russian once she attained a firm grasp on the language; it did not seem as though it would be much longer.

--- "No, Cousin."

She walked into the kitchen area and set the bags onto the island. She returned to English as she looked at the young boy she viewed as her nephew, but loved as her son.

--- "Okay, now are we done with this conversation?"

The boy, while typically well-mannered, was still quite spoiled; he was used to getting everything he requested from his father. He had had his heart set on seeing the popular movie. He crossed his arms and sat on the couch.

--- "Yes. I'm sorry Cousin Alexis. I didn't mean to be disobedient. May we still watch my movie first, please?"

Sam had been growing annoyed that her cousin was intruding on her time with her mother and doing so by acting as a brat. While she had grown to love the boy and his father, she enjoyed having Alexis to herself as in that way she did not feel embarrassed when she grew upset over minor things. She also did not want her mother to cry in front of the two _boys _lest she appear babyish; Sam was protective of the woman's image. She was, to say the very least, anxiously awaiting Nikolas' departure.

--- "Mommy, I don't want to see that movie."

It was no secret that Sam's viewing choice was strictly on princess movies, but Nikolas was having no part in such a film; according to him, such films were inappropriate for a young boy. As a result, being that _Avatar_ was no longer an option, he had attempted to choose _G-Force_, but Sam complained about the animals on the cover; they reminded her of the rats that bit her skin throughout the night while she slept on the living room McCall's floor. Therefore, much to Nikolas' chagrin, Alexis shook her head and forced him to put it back onto the shelf. After much discussion, she compromised for the _Ice Age_ movies with a deal to watch the first one before he was made to watch a _girl's _movie.

--- "Baby, just give it a chance—"

The little girl shook her head as she watched her mother unpack the bag of movies, popcorn, and other snacks they had just purchased.

--- "But it's boring!"

Nikolas, hearing his cousin's complaints, interjected from the living room. He did not want to be forced into watching her movie; he had already seen most of her other princess movies while visiting the apartment. He would not allow her to win this time.

--- "Not everything has to have princesses and fairies, Samantha. Besides, all of the movies end exactly the same!"

Sam, standing in the kitchen area turned to scowl at the boy.

--- "I wasn't talking to you, Nikolas!"

The young boy put his hands up in defense.

--- "I'm sorry Samantha, but I do not like them. It's not fair that every time I come here, I have to watch a movie made for girls—"

--- "But this is my Mommy's house and that's a movie for boys!"

Nikolas stood in protest.

--- "That isn't true! This movie is for everyone!"

Sam leaned into her mother's leg.

--- "Mommy! Tell him!"

Alexis put a packet of popcorn into the microwave.

--- "Nikolas, why don't you go into the bathroom and wash your hands? And buddy, take your sneakers off; make yourself comfortable."

Alexis was determined to get the boy to loosen up, at least when in her home. He nodded and walked out of the room.

She turned her attention back to her daughter. She bent to meet her daughter at eye level. She put her hands on the tiny girl's waist and looked into her beautiful face attempting to ignore the features she shared with Stavros hoping that he would not make another appearance just to remind her of their similarities; despite what he said, her baby girl was nothing like him.

--- "Sammy, you haven't even seen it yet. Give it a chance, you might like it."

Sam played with her mother's hair.

--- "What if I don't like it?"

The young mother watched as Stavros appeared behind the girl. He attempted to place his bloodied hand on her shoulder, but Alexis gasped and quickly scooped her up into her arms.

_--- "Don't you dare touch her!"_

He smiled at her as blood dripped down from his busted lip down onto his chin until it pooled at the tip waiting to splatter onto his already soiled shirt. He used his torn shirt to wipe it away.

_--- "But she's mine, dear Alexis."_

She looked at Sam, who seemed to notice the change in her other's temperament, stared back at the woman with eyes so similar to her father's.

--- "Mommy?"

To ease her nerves, she smiled at the girl and gave her a kiss on her cheek. She refused to justify the man's comments with a response.

--- "Chipmunk, I don't think Nikolas is going to like the movie you chose either, but he's going to watch it anyway; that's what we call a compromise. Remember this morning, he didn't want to go to the park; he wanted to go to the library instead? Well, I think it only fair that because he did something he didn't like, we now allow him to choose the first movie we watch. Right?"

Sam nodded.

--- "Okay. Will you sit with me?"

Stavros laughed at the young girl.

_--- "Look at what I gave you, Alexis! You finally have someone to love you! No need to thank me yet, honey. I'm patient."_

She glowered in his direction, but was shocked at was she saw. He stood with broken bones on his leg and arm, his right eye was blackened and swollen shut, and his shirt was riddled with splotches from what clearly seemed to be his own blood as he had clearly been badly beaten; she went to imagine the state of his body's damage underneath the clothing, but quickly realized that she would never again want to see the man nude. As he stood in her presence, she was disgusted; she was grateful neither her daughter nor young cousin could see him.

--- "It looks like you got what you deserved, you son of a bitch."

He sighed.

_--- "Listen to the mouth on you in front of our beautiful little girl! Tsk… tsk… I would hate for her to hear the way you speak to her father; what would she think of herself?"_

--- "She wouldn't think anything as she'd never know who you were."

He mockingly laughed at her.

_--- "Careful now, Alexis, the walls have ears."_

She took a deep breath, ignoring the dead man. She set Sam onto the counter beside her and away from Stavros' grasp. She grabbed a bowl from the cabinet.

--- "Of course I'll sit next to you sweetheart."

Stavros winked in Sam's direction, but the girl, of course could not see him.

_--- "I'll see you and your mommy around, little one."_

Alexis turned around to glare at him just as he, with his visibly broken arm, reached out to forcefully pull her into his savage-like embrace. Terrified, she dropped the bowl onto the ground, startling Sam.

--- "Mommy?"

The young mother covered her face to hide Stavros' image, but she knew she could not ignore the girl who had become so in tune with her emotions.

--- "It's alright, baby; Mommy thought she saw something."

She quickly picked up the bowl and set it on the counter. She wiped her tears and once again took her daughter into her arms.

--- "Mommy's just acting like a big old baby over nothing. She's fine."

Sam wiped a tear from the woman's face.

--- "Was it something scary?"

Alexis held her daughter's little hand in place on her cheek.

--- "Nothing I can't handle. Don't worry about Mommy, okay chipmunk?"

Hearing Nikolas approaching, Sam laid her head onto her mother's shoulder. She whispered softly so as to not embarrass the woman.

--- "If you want to take another bath, I'll leave you alone. You don't have to stay with me, Mommy; I'll be good and watch the movie with Nikolas. You can even use my bubbles; I won't mind."

She took a deep breath; her daughter was more observant than she had ever thought. The girl had noticed that she was taking numerous showers a day, but she had never thought she would be so bright as to realize that the need came after Stavros touched her. Regardless of the way he had appeared to her, be it in human form, a decaying corpse, or as he just had, as a bloodied dying form, he still made her skin crawl.

--- "Mommy will be fine, my love; sitting with you makes her feel better."

She looked at Nikolas who stood beside the refrigerator staring at them.

--- "Cousin Alexis, may we watch the movie now?"

Sam groaned in annoyance and buried her face into her mother's neck. Alexis smiled at the boy.

--- "Yea, in a few minutes, honey; I'm just going to put the popcorn in the bowl for us. Sam, why don't you go wash your hands and use the bathroom before we start the movie."

Sam nodded and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before allowing the woman to put her down. She wanted terribly to help the woman and make her feel better the way she had and continued to do for her. She tapped her leg.

--- "If you don't want to use my bubbles, you can borrow Danny if you want, Mommy."

Alexis smiled at her daughter; she knelt in front of her.

--- "Thank you chipmunk, but you're all I need. But, I tell you what; if Danny wants to watch the movie with us, he's more than welcome."

The little girl smiled widely. She tapped her mother's nose with the tip of her finger.

--- "I'll ask him!"

Alexis laughed and playfully swatted Sam's bottom just as the girl ran from the room. Regardless of what he said, Stavros could and would never taint the love she had for her little girl.

* * *

Mikkos fixed his suit jacket from the struggle he had just had with his wife. He wished that he could have said that he had never seen the woman so enraged, but that would certainly have been a lie. Helena was angry, cold, and bitter toward everything and anyone who dared speak negatively about her… their son. She put Stavros on a pedestal for the world to see; alas it seemed as though she was the only person who failed to seem him for who and what he was. At least that was what he had thought for years.

He looked at Stefan who stood still as stone glaring at his presence. He cleared his throat before speaking to the man; he knew this was not going to be a pleasant exchange.

--- "Are you alright?"

Stefan looked at the man standing before him with absolute hatred. Throughout his childhood, the man stood silently watching as his wife and son use both he and his cousin as punching bags. Now, having heard that his son was a rapist, that he had raped that girl, the only words that he thought prudent to vocalize were, '_Are you alright?' _ If he had inherited his mother's violent temper, he would have murdered his father on the spot.

--- "You are a piece of work, Father; are you aware of that? I have just stood in this spot and told your wife that your son _raped _Alexis… no, ALEXANDRA, and the only thing you have to ask me is if _I'M _alright? Father, when the hell did you begin to care about my welfare? God, when did you begin to care about _anyone_ else but yourself and your Cassadine Empire?"

Mikkos picked the letter opener from the floor and returned it to the desk from where it had been taken.

--- "You might not respect me when you are in your home or in the states where I've heard you've decided to move, but Stefan, you will not disrespect me in my own home. I will not allow you, regardless of how angry you might be over something of which I had no control—"

The younger man slammed his fist on the desk; he interrupted his father.

--- "The HELL you didn't have any control over what happened to Alexis. YOU were the cause of it all. YOU! You sat idly by with a cigar in your mouth and the evening or morning paper in your hand and let those bastards terrorize her."

Mikkos remained calm as he spoke to his son. He rarely raised his voice when he spoke. His composed demeanor therefore was always seen as cold and disconnected. But, this view was wrong; he did care. He had tried on numerous occasions to stop the reign of terror against Alexis, and to some extent Stefan, but it fell on deaf ears. When he saw the abuse had begun to escalate to dangerous levels, he sent the girl away. Considering what had happened to her, it was clear he had been too late; he had allowed the cruelty to go on for far too long.

--- "I attempted to speak with your mother about the discipline—"

Stefan felt as though he were in a twilight zone; there was no way this man who ran a multi-billion dollar company could be so daft.

--- "DISCIPLINE? She never did anything to deserve to be treated as she was! She was raised in this home and left to feel as though she didn't belong and that she was unworthy of love. And then, when she finally began to feel like a human being and love someone and feel loved, you ripped it away from her! And worse, you threw her beautiful daughter to the wolves. You LET her be abused, Father; in your _self-absorbed_ complacency, you ALLOWED your son to rape her!"

Mikkos, for the first time, felt a pent-up anger rise up within him against the younger man. This was an accusation he could not accept. If he could have stopped it from happening, he would have. He could never… it was cruel of what Stefan accused him.

--- "I did NO such thing! I didn't know! I didn't… Look, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life; I know this. I've allowed things to be done, people to be hurt… abused… you… Alexis… and I… I didn't do anything to stop it. In regard to that child, I did what I thought was right! I put her where she needed to be… where I should've… Stefan, there is so much that you don't understand—"

Stefan stared at the man willing him to finish his statements. There were holes in the story; he wanted them filled. He wanted to return to the states with something to give his cousin. He wanted a _why_.

--- "Well, I'm here; tell me, Father. Please, help me understand how you had Alexis in this house for eleven years and stood silently as Mother and Stavros verbally and physically abused her? Please, explain away the despicable way that bastard spoke to her—"

--- "I can't—"

Stefan shook his head in aggravation.

--- "No, Father. It's not that you can't; you simply won't. You won't explain your inaction because then you would be forced to admit your guilt and that is something you would NEVER do. No, you are a proud Cassadine man! You are far to proud to admit that you ruined that girl's life and that of her child. If you won't help me, please know that I will figure it all out myself. I never needed you growing up, I certainly don't need you now."

Mikkos narrowed his eyes at his son; he was tired of being made to feel as though he were the enemy. He wanted a chance to speak and explain in his own time when he was certain of it all, but he was met with only hostility and anger. Considering the personal stake Stefan seemed to have in instilled upon himself, he wondered if his wife had struck a nerve in the man.

--- "You know, it's interesting that you are so passionate about all of this—"

The younger man frowned.

--- "I'm sure such an emotion is perplexing to you father; it's part of my human reaction and tendency to empathize with others. You would have to take your head out of your own ass to realize that there are others who exist in this world to know such a feeling."

Mikkos was infuriated. He had reached his wit's end at the level of disrespect her was being shown.

--- "Why don't you ask me what you want to ask me, Stefan? Why don't you ask me why I didn't protect YOU? Why I didn't love YOU enough or make YOUR mother not hate YOU? Why don't you ask me that? Why don't you stop hiding behind Alexis and what happened to her all those years ago by a now dead man and be a man. Ask the questions you have always wanted answered! Stop hiding behind Alexis!"

Stefan could not lie; the way he had been treated all of his life by his mother had always bothered him. It was true, in some way he might have been venting his own anger at his father, but this was not about him. He was, as he had always been, there for her; he picked her up when she fell. He had returned to the home in which they had grown up, to do just that.

He spoke in the calmed of voices.

_--- _"You know what, Father? I can't be concerned with that pathetic witch. I've known that she's hated me from the moment I was born, and I have been subjected to her abuse for years; I took and accepted it because I didn't know any better. But Alexis… you took her in. You brought her into this home instead of allowing her to live with people who might have treated her with dignity and kindness, and you watched for YEARS as she suffered at the hands of your wife and son and you did NOTHING about it—"

--- "Stefan—"

--- "No, let me finish! You accused me of being here for my own sake; you owe me the right to say my peace."

Mikkos sat at the desk and allowed his son to continue.

--- "I don't know from where she came before coming to live here, I'm sure she doesn't either, but God, I can only imagine that she lived in a home filled with love because it's only from her that I learned what love was! Of whatever she might have forgotten about her early life, she managed, in spite of the torments of this hellhole, to retain the ability to love, to be kind and to _respect_. That's something she certainly NEVER learned here. How could she when you people do not know a thing about such traits. Don't you dare tell me that I'm speaking on my own pathetic childhood with your disgusting sorry excuses for human beings; I'm talking about ALEXIS, ALEXANDRA, and whomever she was before she came here! I'm not speaking FOR her, Father; I'm speaking on my OWN behalf concerning my best friend, my cousin, and my sister who right now is breaking into a million pieces and I don't know how to fix her! And I swear to you, just as I did Mother, Father, that if she's lost to me, I will kill you myself."

Mikkos was shocked by the man's words. He knew Stefan and Alexis shared a bond, but to kill? Stefan was not so evil…

--- "You don't mean that—"

He scoffed at his father's doubt.

--- "The hell I don't! If something were to happen to Alexis, don't you know it would be a domino effect? She falls, Samantha falls, then I, and then finally Nikolas. Can't you see that? If she continues down this path, she will take that beautiful girl with her and there is nothing that I can do to stop it; that child will follow her mother to the ends of the earth."

This was still something shocking for which he was slowly piecing the reasons why the child was returned to Alexis and how she… existed.

_--- _"How… how… _is_ the child?"

Stefan once again scoffed.

--- "You are on a roll tonight, Father. I must say that I'm astounded by the sudden display of concern tonight. Are you ill?"

--- "Stefan, please—"

He pulled his cell phone from his breast pocket; he noticed the missed call from Alexis.

--- "Ah, look at that! It seems that our dear Alexis had called me; would you like me to return the call and have you speak with Samantha?"

Mikkos sighed; there was no point having such a discussion with the man. Regardless of whatever he said, he would only be met with sarcasm and anger. He thought it best to simply give the man the files he had been looking over for the past two weeks. He hoped they might see that he was not the man they presumed him to be.

--- "No, that's not necessary, Stefan. Will you please follow me to my office; I have something I would like for you to take back to Alexis."

Stefan shook his head dismissively. Why could his father not understand him when he spoke? We did he find it so difficult to actually speak with his cousin; if he tried, he would find out how extraordinary she was.

--- "I am not your messenger, Father; I'm quite certain I've told you this."

The older man shook his head as he walked out of the room not caring whether or not Stefan chose to follow him; he was tired of his disrespect. He returned a few minutes later with a folder holding the copied contents of the material he had been reviewing from the moment he had spoken with Alexis. There was so much to explain, but he either did not know how or simply did not have the answers. They would have to trust him.

--- "There is quite a bit of information in here that will shock you both, and others that will seem unforgivable. I don't have an excuse for them except that I did what I thought was best. I know you're not her messenger Stefan, but please just tell her that… I'm sorry."

He placed the file onto the desk.

--- "Have a safe flight home, son."

He walked out of the room before Stefan could deny his request.

* * *

At some point, she had begun to doze off during the movie. It was not that she did not find it to be interesting, she simply found it easier to sleep when the sun was still up; too many scary things went through her mind at night. She did not know how to turn them off.

_--- "Don't you look pretty. Did you fix yourself up for Stefan? You thought you were meeting him here, did you?"_

Unfortunately, it seemed as though the times of day had begun to merge; there was no escape. He came to her in her waking and sleeping hours, bringing images and memories she had been taught and forced to forget. She wished she could close this chapter in her life as she had previously done.

_She did not like what he was inferring of the relationship she had with her cousin. She looked at him in disgust._

_--- "He's like a brother to me."_

_Encircling her like a hawk awaiting it's prey, he smiled at the fear emanating from her pores. _

_--- "So, if Stefan is like a brother to you, how do you see me?"_

_He could have been an incredibly handsome man, but his evil nature distorted his Adonis-like good looks. To her in a literal, yet figurative, sense, he was the spawn of Satan. She swallowed hard, but afraid to speak. She averted her eyes._

_--- "As nothing."_

_He raised an eyebrow._

_--- "Really? Now my feelings are hurt! Nothing Alexandra? Really?"_

_She slowly nodded her head feeling her heart rising to her mouth as he approached her unbuckling his belt with each step._

_--- "Hmm, I suppose we'll have to change that, won't we?" _

Sam grew restless; she found it to be funny enough, but she was growing hungry. She also hated that Nikolas had placed himself beside her mother; she was not willing to share something she had missed all of her life. Her childish thoughts never considered that he might also be longing for maternal attention.

--- "Mommy?"

Alexis, still in deep thought as to the events of that night, took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She heard her daughter, but her brain did not allow her to respond.

--- "Mommy?"

Sam tapped her mother's arm; it seemed to take the woman from her trance. She looked down at the girl.

--- "Hmm?"

--- "I'm hungry."

Alexis smiled at her daughter; not long ago, Sam would never have informed her of her hunger. She unwrapped her arms around both children.

--- "Okay, I think I should make something for us."

Nikolas grimaced.

--- "But Cousin Alexis, you can't cook—"

Sam leaned over her mother in order to give the boy a dirty look.

--- "My Mommy can cook! She can make cereal, Chef Boyardee, Poptarts, Easy Mac and sandwiches!"

Nikolas rolled his eyes.

--- "That's not real food, Samantha."

--- "YES IT IS! Just because it's not fancy chicken and… and… _shrimp_ like Cousin Stefan likes to buy, it's still food, _Nikolas_."

Alexis smiled at the exchange; she loved that her daughter was so defensive and protective of her.

--- "It's alright, Sam—"

The little looked up at her mother.

--- "No, he's wrong!"

Nikolas shook his head.

--- "Father said that sandwiches, cereal, and that other stuff you mentioned, aren't dinner. He said that Cousin Alexis is to order an adequate meal for us. He also said that she's not to be courageous in his absence because he loves us far too much to come back from his business trip to a couple of sick or dead children."

Sam leaned into her mother and pouted.

--- "Well, he's wrong."

Nikolas glared at his older, yet smaller, cousin.

--- "He's _never_ wrong, Samantha."

Alexis tried not to laugh, but she knew she needed to speak to her beloved cousin about the conversations he had in front of his precocious son.

She put her hand on the top of the boy's head.

--- "Stefan told you that, Nikolas?"

The boy blushed; he immediately held his head down in shame.

--- "No, Cousin."

Alexis lifted his little chin.

--- "I know he didn't, buddy. He said all of that to me last night when we spoke on the phone. Were you eavesdropping?"

Sam smiled as she figured Nikolas would get into trouble for doing such a thing. She had been smacked around before whenever Evelyn thought she was listening to conversations she had been having with Cody in the living room where she was made to sleep. She didn't want Nikolas to get spanked, but she did not appreciate his insult toward her mother. She wanted him to be, at the very least, punished; more specifically, she wanted him to be placed in time-out for the amount of time it would take his father to retrieve him.

--- "Yeeeeees!"

Stavros laughed from the corner chair; she had hoped that he might have finally left, but there he was, again.

_--- "My goodness, she is a feisty little thing, isn't she? She's so much like her father, don't you think?" _

Her daughter was nothing like him.

_--- "She's certainly nothing like you and your mousey self. You could never stand up for yourself.__"_

Alexis glared in his direction, but narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

--- "Samantha."

Sam stared at her mother innocently.

--- "I bet he was, Mommy, otherwise he wouldn't know anything… and he _doesn't_."

Nikolas frowned and crossed his arms onto his chest.

--- "I was NOT, Samantha. You weren't even there; how would you know?"

Sam stuck her tongue at him, but quickly put it back into her mouth when Alexis gave her a stern look; she knew the woman hated the poor habit she had picked up from one of her television shows. She hid her face in embarrassment into her mother's side.

--- "Sorry Mommy."

Alexis rubbed her daughter's back. She knew with the emergence of her daughter's personality, she would soon have to begin punishing the previous shy and quiet child. She was not looking forward to the task as it was obvious to her that Sam felt as though she were a disappointment whenever scolded.

--- "It's okay, baby; but you have to learn to keep your tongue in your mouth."

--- "I will. I promise. Don't be mad."

She kissed the top of the girl's head.

--- "I'm not, baby."

Sam nodded to acknowledge that she had been spoken to; she continued to keep her face from view. Alexis knew she would emerge shortly.

--- "Were you eavesdropping, Nikolas?"

Nikolas had tears in his eyes. He quickly rubbed them to shield his sign of weakness. Knowing how brave his father was, he never liked to cry in front of others; it was improper.

--- "That wasn't my intention; I promise, Cousin Alexis. I was simply waiting for him to read me a nighttime story before he left for his trip. I didn't mean to listen to his conversation. I apologize; it was rude."

Alexis wrapped her arms around the visibly upset boy, bringing him into her.

--- "I believe you buddy, but I think you should make it a habit to, when an adult is having a private conversation, either not listen to it, or to step out of the room until you're certain the conversation has ended."

He nodded.

--- "I'm sorry."

Alexis messed with his hair.

--- "It's okay, Nik. How about you finish watching the movie while I figure out what to order."

She stood from the couch and moved to the kitchen area; Sam quickly followed her.

--- "Can we have pizza?"

Ever since their first dinner with Stefan and Nikolas, whenever given the option, the young girl requested the meal.

--- "Aren't you tired of pizza, honey?"

Sam smiled at her.

--- "No, it's good!"

Alexis lifted her onto the counter.

--- "Ok—"

Nikolas knelt onto the couch and turned to look at the mother and daughter.

--- "I don't like pizza, Cousin Alexis."

She tapped the counter remembering the look of disgust the young boy and his father had had on their faces when they realized they would have to eat the meal with their hands. When they were given a fork and knife and actually tasted it, they found the meal to be substandard for their high-quality taste buds.

--- "Ah, I forgot about that. Sorry, chipmunk."

Sam grabbed her mother's arm; the boy was once again infringing on her desires.

--- "That's not fair! Mommy, he doesn't like anything."

Nikolas protested the mischaracterization.

--- "I do! I just don't like pizza… at least not from this country."

She ignored him.

--- "Mommy, can we have pizza please? Nikolas doesn't have to eat."

Alexis glared at her daughter. She would never leave the young boy hungry. She could not do to him what had been done to her when she was a child; it was cruel.

--- "Samantha—"

Sam's eyes began to well up with tears.

--- "Sorry."

She knew the young girl had not intended to suggest such a thing, but it bothered her nonetheless; was Stavros getting to her? No, he could have been. Her belief in Sam's innocence and the influence she had on her was far too great to have been infected with the likes of the McCalls or even worse, her _father. _

She stood in front of Sam, looking her directly in the eyes.

--- "Sweetheart, I want you to listen to me, okay?"

The tears had already begun to stream down her cheeks. She used the back of her hand to wipe them. She felt so stupid; she had been doing nothing that day, but making her mother reprimand her. She was bad. Evelyn had told her that numerous times; perhaps she was right.

--- "I messed up again. You can send me to bed early or… or… take Danny away… I don't deserve him."

Alexis smiled sadly at her baby. She hated knowing that she might have made the girl cry.

--- "You didn't mess up. I just want you to understand that certain comments aren't acceptable because they can make someone feel bad."

Sam made a face; she did not entirely understand what her mother was telling her, but she did not want the woman to think she was stupid. Alexis, on the other hand, took her little face into her hands and wiped her tears away with her thumbs.

--- "Chipmunk don't cry. Do you remember what it felt like when Evelyn threatened to not feed you? And the nights you went to bed hungry because she didn't think you needed to eat because she said you were being bad?"

--- "Like now?"

She shook her head.

--- "No Samantha. You are not being bad nor are you ever bad. You're not always going to do or say things that Mommy will like, but that will NEVER make you bad. You are good."

Nikolas knew he should not eavesdrop, but he did not like that his cousin was crying; his father had told him that she was sensitive and would need everyone's help to make her feel better. He would do just that.

--- "I think you're really good, Samantha! If you want to get pizza, I'll eat it. And I promise, I won't complain about how horrible it tastes. I'll even let you eat my slice, if you want!"

Sam turned to look at him. She smiled at his generosity.

--- "Thank you, Nikolas. But… um… if I eat your pizza, you're gonna be hungry. Mommy doesn't want you to be hungry. I don't want you to be either. I'm sorry I said you didn't have to eat."

Nikolas returned the smile, while Alexis hugged her girl.

--- "That's my good girl."

Alexis grabbed the book of menus from the drawer. She noticed Stavros still seated in his seat watching her every move; she would have loved to throw the book at him, but she knew it would be pointless.

_--- "Really Alexis, you should just face it; that child reminds you so much of me it's making you crazy! You can claim your looove is enough, but you see me in her; it's killing you right now. Goodness, I'm dead and here you are seeing me all bloodied and ruining your chair. You may want to seek professional help; this isn't normal."_

He passed his hand on the chair's arm; it was clearly quite expensive. He leaned back comfortably into it hoping to stain it. He continued to taunt her.

_--- "That worthless Stefan decorated this place for you, didn't he? Oh, I beg your pardon; that was rude. You don't have to answer that; but, I know he would do anything for you."_

He rubbed his wounds, playing with the dead skin that barely covered the opened gashes. He made a face and looked back at her.

_--- "I always found that to be quite interesting… and perhaps a bit disturbing."_

She began to flip through the book cursing Stavros as she searched for something that could appease both children. She could feel an impending breakdown, but she needed to keep her composure in front of Sam and Nikolas. She wished Stefan had not left for an impromptu "business" trip; Stavros made himself scarce when he was around her. Even in death, the mad was a coward. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

--- "Now, we're going to have to compromise. Okay?"

--- "I guess, but Mommy?"

Alexis looked over at her daughter.

--- "Hmm?"

The little girl looked over to Nikolas who had resumed watching the movie. She leaned into her mother's side and looked up at her.

--- "I love Nikolas, but I still like it better when it's just you and me… no boys allowed."

The young woman smiled at her daughter. She took her face into her hands and covered it with kisses. It was moments such as those that allowed her to distill the horrible thoughts Stavros attempted to implant into her brain against her daughter.

--- "You're my little chipmunk, you know that?"

_--- "Nope, she's a monster. That's how you see me, right? Isn't that what you called me the night we made love?"_

She once again began to feel her skin crawl; she wanted to scratch her skin until it bled. They did not make love; he _raped_ her! There was a very large difference between the two acts.

Sam nodded.

--- "I don't want to try snails or any other bug again."

Alexis took a stool from underneath the island and pulled Sam into her lap.

--- "Don't worry about that honey; we won't order anything you don't want to eat."

Stavros walked over to them and pulled out his own seat. He smiled at the woman before moving close to her.

_--- "You know, I didn't like escargot either."_

The young mother shut her eyes for a moment as she waited for him to disappear.

* * *

Stefan read through the contents of the file numerous times. He looked through the birth certificates, adoption certificates, documents acknowledging legalized name changes, death certificates, pictures, and newspaper clippings; it was all rather overwhelming. He was certain his cousin was unaware of any of this. There was no way she was otherwise things would have been completely different. She would have been different and not on the verge of a complete mental break. Sam would have been a normal child. And he… he would… well, would he have been any different? Any better?

Alexis was lost; he knew this. She was trapped in a world that was created for her for some unknown reason that regardless of the amount of times he read the paper, he could not find the answer. She was Natasha Cassadine, Alexandra Davidovitch, and now Alexis Davis; each with a life of her own. Each holding secrets that were attempting to unlock after several years within his cousin's brain. It was no wonder Stavros was haunting her; he was the largest of the secrets she had tucked away with Mikkos' name and identity change… or was he?

Sam was barely fixed. She was better, there was no question about that, but she was being held together by tape rather than glue. At any moment, be it in words, actions, or memories, that child's world could come crashing down onto her; he was not sure if, at that point, anyone would have been able to save her. She was abused… so very abused… needlessly. Could she ever fully recover from the life she lived for nearly her entire life?

It was strange; as he read through the file for the twenty-fifth time, he could not help but think that perhaps in all of this, he was the only one who faired well. Of the secrets and lies, he got her… he got them both. He was grateful. Was he a bad person for almost feeling grateful to his father, a man with an apparent God-complex, for his actions and inactions that put both Alexis and Sam into his life? He was not sure if it made him bad, but it certainly made him selfish.

Stefan did not know anything anymore. The only thing he knew was that he would not let the pieces of her life continue to blow in the wind; he would catch them all and return them to her. That was the least he owed the woman…

* * *

After bathing the children before bedtime and giving up her place in the bed to Nikolas, Alexis lied on the couch in the living room with a Law Review journal. She missed writing for the prestigious journal, but she could not leave her still traumatized daughter; she still needed a lot of her attention that law school would not afford her. Sam's needs were of paramount interest to her; she could always return to school.

_--- "Ah, we're all alone now! Is our monster asleep?"_

She rubbed her eyes; Stavros' visits were more frequent and more vivid. She feared that at any moment the man would completely materialize and whisk her daughter away from her. Alas, she may have thought herself to be going crazy, but she would have been damned if she had allowed such a thing to happen… again.

--- "Goodness Stavros! Don't you have SOMEWHERE to be? I mean, I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind a visit from you. Go there. Leave me alone."

He walked around the room looking at the various books on her bookshelf and the pictures of Alexis, Sam, Nikolas, and Stefan that decorated the place.

_--- "Actually, I'm right where I need to be. Really, how could you love that child seeing as you hate me so much?"_

Her eyes followed him as he limped about the room. The bone in his leg was popping out through his pants; if he were not dead, he certainly would not have been hobbling around the room as he was.

--- "It's easy; she's the best thing that ever happened to me."

He picked a picture of just Alexis and Sam; he smiled, causing a bit of blood to drip over Sam's image. He attempted to wipe it off, but it smeared onto Alexis' image.

_--- "I'm flattered."_

She wished he would stop touching her things.

--- "Don't be. She is the ONLY good thing that came out of what you did to me, and you know what? In some very strange way, I thank you for that."

_--- "You're welcome, pet."_

She was at her wit's end with the man, ghost, or whatever he was. She threw her journal onto the coffee table and approached him; for the first time, she did not feel as though a thousand worms and maggots were crawling all over her. She felt empowered by the words that were about to leave her mouth. She wanted him to hear, understand, and leave her. She wanted this to stop. She wanted to be able to hug, kiss, laugh, smiled, and even scold her daughter without any comment from him. She wanted to live without any fear that she might become so mentally unstable that Sam would be taken from her. She wanted to give the child a sense of normalcy that she herself did not have as a child. His presence was impeding all of this.

--- "I want you to know one thing and perhaps this will get you the hell out of my face all of the damn time. When I look at her, I don't see you at all. You think I should, but I don't. When I look at her, I see me as a child, abused and neglected, but I'm changing that. Sam, despite what you, your mother, and your father might think, was _not_ a mistake. She might have the misfortune of sharing genetic DNA with you three assholes, but she's one hundred percent mine and I won't let you taint that the way you did everything else you touched when you walked this earth. I love my daughter, but understand that I will ALWAYS hate you. You are an evil creature whom I hope is rotting in hell. Now, get the HELL out of my house!"

Stavros gripped his chest where his heart should have been, but had begun to rot away from the moment he had been born.

_--- "Hmm… harsh words coming from a child like you—"_

She frowned at him.

--- "Damn it Stavros, what does that mean? Stop speaking in f*cking circles. Say what you have to say and get the hell out of here!"

He passed his hand along her cheek causing her to blanche.

_--- "Oh, then I couldn't watch you squirm the way you do whenever I'm around. This is far to enjoyable." _

He took a deep satisfying breath before nodding away from her.

_--- "Oh damn, it seems we've company; this is my cue to leave. I'll be in touch, my little mouse. Give Samantha a kiss from her daddy."_

She turned to notice Sam, holding Danny, standing at the bedroom doorway.

--- "Mommy?"

She was not shocked to see the girl awake.

--- "Hi baby, what are you doing up?"

Sam had grown accustomed to having her mother beside her.

--- "I don't want to share a bed with Nikolas."

--- "You don't? Why not?"

The little girl, being quite embarrassed, shrugged.

Alexis smiled at her daughter.

--- "Come over here, silly goose."

She ran into her mother's arms. Alexis held her tightly against her for a moment; she sensed something off with her. Sure enough, when she pulled Sam away from her, she noticed that she had begun to cry. She grew concerned; the girl had been, aside from the arguments with Nikolas, fine. This was exactly why she did not feel she could handle the responsibilities of school and taking care of her emotionally damaged daughter at once; her baby needed her more. She would figure everything else out later.

She carried her to the couch.

--- "What's the matter, Chipmunk?"

Sam rested her head onto her mother's chest. She yawned.

--- "Nothing."

Alexis rubbed her daughter's back as she lied back onto the couch keeping the girl on top of her. She knew the child would soon fall back asleep.

--- "Samantha, Mommy can't help you if you don't tell her what's going on."

Sam rubbed her eyes as she sighed.

--- "I just missed you. I woke up and you weren't there. I got scared."

Unquestionably her girl had had her recurring nightmare of Evelyn attempting to steal her away.

--- "Do you want to stay here with Mommy?"

The child, without looking up, nodded her head.

--- "Can Danny stay too?"

Alexis shifted uncomfortably on the couch; she decided that she might need to invest in a sofa bed or simply a separate bed for her daughter so that she would not have to give hers up when Nikolas slept over. On second thought, seeing as Sam either woke up most nights from the nightmare, or clutching onto her for dear life, she wondered if might want to consider finding a new apartment; this one certainly must have held bad memories for the girl. Maybe Stavros would stay behind with the memories. She could close another chapter in her life.

--- "Of course he can stay, sweetheart. Are you comfortable?"

Sam yawned again. She nodded; she was comfortable anywhere near her mother.

--- "Can I see Danny… um, my brother… I… I miss him."

Alexis wrapped her arms around her girl unsure of how to respond to her question. She would have loved to reunite Sam with the brother she had loved for six years, but she was terrified that they might encounter Evelyn in the process; she did not want to take such a chance, but she certainly did not want to disappoint her daughter.

--- "Um, how about we discuss that later? Okay?"

There was no response; Sam had fallen asleep comfortably in her arms. Alexis lied there just listening to the child's soft breaths; it was the only thing that kept her calm throughout her restless nights. She anxiously awaited daybreak.

17


	15. Their Father's Children

UNEDITED as I'm lazy… I know I'm on vaca, but if you want many updates you'll have to stick with first draft work! LOL! While I'm lying in bed… eventually… I'll reread it. Until then, I'm going to apologize in advance for any errors (my brain has been on my shelf for the week so take that into consideration; I'm still recuperating).

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Their Father's Children**

Helena stood silent at the graves of her beloved children, wishing that instead of them rotting in the ground, it would have instead been Alexis and the wretched Stefan. If those two, more Stefan than that whore, had never existed and God had instead allowed her Sofie to live, everything would have been different; it would have been better. Unfortunately, that was not the case and this was the life she was meant to live.

She heard his footsteps approaching from behind her; she did not welcome the intrusion.

- "What do you want Mikkos?"

His eyes moved from her onto their daughter's grave then onto their son's. He hated to have an argument in front of his little girl, but certainly a child born still was long ago at peace. Stavros, on the other hand, was not in his life ever one to strive for such solitude; there was no point in attempting to give it to him in death.

- "Why would you do such a thing to Stefan? Why would you try to kill him over something I'm _sure _you're fully aware had occurred. You and I both know that you have always known what Stavros did to that girl."

She, never turning to face the man, hugged her arms to herself to fight the chilly evening air. She continued to stare at her children's graves.

- "Did you come down here to argue with me about that bastard, Mikkos? If that was the purpose of your trip, you certainly wasted your time. I do not regret what I have done to protect Stavros, I do not regret nearly killing Stefan, but I do regret not doing so when I had the chance."

Mikkos put the coat he carried out with him over his wife's shoulders.

- "Stefan is not the guilty one here, Helena."

For the first time she turned around; there was anger in her eyes.

- "You're right. The guilty party is YOU. You brought that girl into this house, you brought Stefan home from the hospital, you… You… YOU, Mikkos! Stavros did nothing to that girl. She is a bottom-feeding whore; the apple did not fall far from that tree. The fact that you would believe someone such as her and allow something such as Stefan to taint the love you should have for our son in proof of your allegiances."

He took a deep breath as he looked at her wondering if her denial was one of actual belief or repetitive false thoughts or hopes of reality. Their son was capable of all that he had been accused throughout his life. He was an untamed, brutish, child who became a feral man. He treated everyone, aside from his mother, as he though they were lower than the dirt underneath his shoe. He drank to the point of intoxication, gambled until there was no money left in his pocket, and cursed as though it were a natural part of his language. Stavros Cassadine was an animal of which the world, Mikkos was sorry to say, was lucky to be free.

- "Helena—"

She saw the hatred in her husband's eyes as he looked at her son's final resting place. She did not need him poisoning the atmosphere with such contempt.

- "I will say this again, Mikkos. If you are here to taint my son's memory and turn him into something he was not, I assure you your time would be better spent elsewhere. Now, if you don't mind, I would like a moment alone with _my_ children."

There was no convincing the woman. Mikkos knew the truth. If his wife wanted to continue to live in her land of denial, he would not stop her, but he would certainly be damned if he allowed Stavros to further damage Alexis' life.

_She was in her hospital room with her head bandaged. She clutched the teddy some kind nurse had purchased for her upon hearing of the deaths of both of her parents; the woman felt sorry for the confused child._

_- "I want to go home."_

_- "And you will, Alexandra—"_

_She shook her head as she whispered to the kind nurse._

_- "But I don't know him."_

_The woman sat on the bed beside her. She passed her hand along the child's cheek careful not to touch the butterfly stitched cut on her high cheekbone. She was a beautiful little girl with deep dimples and big brown eyes. The nurse could see the sense of loss within her; if she could have, she would have taken the girl herself._

_- "Alexandra, this is your uncle. I know that this must be difficult for you to understand and accept, but he was right when he told you that your Mommy and Daddy were gone—"_

_Tears continued to stream down the girl's cheeks as she stared at the man who returned her stare from the corner of the room. _

_- "I don't remember them."_

_The nurse nodded her head._

_- "That's because you've hit your head rather hard, darling."_

_Being four years old, she was quite intuitive; she could sense that while he was not a horrible man, he certainly did not want much to do with her. If this were true, why was he there? _

_- "Can't I stay here?"_

_Mikkos was losing patience. He needed to take her to the cemetery to say he final goodbyes to her parents before it closed; he vowed never to return to London._

_- "Alexandra, the nurse has other patients she must attend to. I am your uncle and before they died, your parents left you to my supervision. I will take you to see them, but you must allow the nurse to dress you."_

_Seeing the glimmer in the child's eyes at the thought of seeing her parents, the nurse stared at him disapprovingly. She could not believe that he would bring the child's hopes up only to dash them when she would come to realize that she would never see her parents again; it was cruel, but what else could she do but get the child dressed._

_- "Alright Alexandra, will you allow me to help you put this dress on so that you may leave with your uncle?"_

_What choice did she have but to nod and allow this woman to help get ready so that she could start her new life apart from the parents she could not remember and with her uncle she did not know._

She was still asleep, but she felt her daughter sound asleep on top of her. She unconsciously held the girl so that she would not fall off of her. She mumbled in her sleep.

- "My uncle—"

Even in her sleep it did not seem right.

- "Mikkos is my uncle?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, but she kept her eyes closed hoping the dream might return to her so that more answers could be had.

- "Alexis."

Mikkos was her uncle; that did not make any sense. He was her cousin… her distant cousin. He had to be. Why would he lie to her? Why would he lead her to believe all of her life that she was some charity case? Why would he do that to her?

- "Alexis?"

Finally, hearing the voice of the one person who might not think her crazy, she opened her eyes. There he was worriedly gazing down at her.

- "Stefan."

He leaned down so that he could give her a kiss on the forehead.

- "Good morning, darling. I see the little raven has made you her nest?"

- "Doesn't she always?

Alexis carefully sat up on the couch while continuing to hold Sam in her arms; she would always be grateful that her six year old were the size of a just-turned four year old.

- "Let me put her down in the room with your son."

- "Why didn't you put her there in the first place?"

She rolled her tired eyes at him and responded in French.

- "Do you think it was my first choice to sleep on the couch with this little one on top of me? She didn't want to share a bed with him, Stefan, and she had had a bad dream; those happen a lot."

- "Well then, why didn't you put Nikolas on the couch and you remained in your bed with Samantha?"

She laughed at the suggestion from her proper cousin.

- "Are you kidding me? As much as I would have LOVED to do just that, I thought better of the idea for two reasons: one, you would've walked in here this morning and told me that no person should sleep on a couch, let alone your child, who by the way HATES the park. Second, being that your son is just like you, I figured I'd save myself the energy of arguing with him about sleeping on the couch and just sleep on it myself."

Stefan could not argue about either point; it was true, no person in their right mind should ever sleep on something they spend time sitting on in clothing they had worn in the streets. It was a disgusting and common habit he was certain his cousin had picked up even before Samantha returned to her. Nevertheless, he knew he would not break the woman of her laid-back demeanor; he liked this side of her.

- "You need a new sofa, I'll place an order for you—"

- "No, I need a new apartment. I can't stay here anymore, and Sam's sill having a hard time being left alone for too long. Goodness, do you see her right now? This is my kid right now, Stefan. She thinks if I'm out of her sight for longer than ten minutes, those _idiots_got a hold of me, killed me, and will take her back. I'm lucky if I get a few minutes of privacy to take a shower each day because she's not only scared of them, but she's comes in to check on me to make sure I haven't offed myself seeing as she's well aware that I'm crazy."

Stefan smiled at his cousin before passing his hand along the sleeping child's back.

- "She doesn't think you're crazy, Alexis."

Alexis scoffed as she gave her daughter a kiss on the side of the head. She could hold the girl in her arms forever.

- "I'll take your word for it, Stefan, but in the time that I've had her with me, I've come to know my child; she thinks I'm nuts and she's waiting for the other shoe to drop before she's returned to those assholes. I'll be back in a minute."

He watched her leave the room. He could see that she had not slept much that night; it seemed to be even few hours (or minutes) than she had any other night. He wondered whether he should, discuss the contents of the envelope with her; perhaps it would have been prudent to wait until later.

He walked into the kitchen to unpack the two cups of tea and pastries he had purchased on the way to her apartment. It was seven in the morning, an hour earlier than either child typically awoke; despite his apprehensions concerning the envelope, he wanted a chance to privately speak with his cousin.

She walked back into the room and immediately wrapped her arms around him.

- "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

He held her as tightly as she held him.

- "I've been gone a day; you could not have possibly missed me that much, Alexis."

But she had, and she found herself crying as he held her. There was so much swirling through her brain, but she had not a single idea as to how to make sense of any of it. And then there was Stavros haunting her all day and all night, causing her to terrify the only good thing he had ever given her. She needed Stefan. She needed him to reassure her that she was not losing it one piece at a time.

- "You have no idea—"

He held onto her as she continued to sob knowing that she was dealing with the horrific memories of his brother, but unaware of the other memories that had flooded her mind. He comforted a woman who knew nothing of who she was or from where and whom she came. He sensed a heavier pain within her.

- "Enlighten me."

She released him and sat at the island. She took a sip from her cup of tea and a bite from a croissant as she gathered her thoughts. There was so much on her mind, but she was not sure how to broach the subject. It was bad enough that Stavros was haunting her as often as he could, but now these thoughts of parents she never knew, an uncle who was supposed to be her distant cousin, and a traumatized daughter, it seemed to be much for an early morning conversation. She was not sure she wanted to have it, not even with Stefan. Instead, she smiled as she thought about the previous day's events with her two favorite children.

- "You know what? We have more than enough time for all of that. Nik and Sam are quite the pair together—"

Stefan smiled at her.

- "I suppose that explains why you look worse today than you did when I saw you two days ago?"

She shook her head and patted his face.

- "My cousin, again, you NEVER cease to amaze me with your impeccable Cassadine manners; you truly are one of a kind."

He placed his own hand onto her cheek. He gently passed his thumb along the visibly bags underneath her eyes.

- "You aren't sleeping, Alexis—"

She interrupted him as she did not want to hear yet another lecture from the man.

- "Did you not see how I slept last night? I dare you to attempt to get a wink of sleep with a six year old on top of you on a couch, Stefan! I assure you, it's impossible."

- "No, I don't think that's it. Are you seeing him more frequently? Is that why you believe Samantha think you're crazy? Is she aware of—"

Alexis made a face at the man.

- "Are you insane? What kind of mother do you think I am? Why the hell would I ever tell my six year old: 'Baby, you know the reason mommy takes three and four showers a day is because she's seeing the asshole that raped her and produced you because of it.' No, she's not aware that I'm being haunted by that bastard."

She noticed a shift in Stefan's demeanor. She did not like what she saw and the knowledge that came from knowing everything about her cousin.

- "You went after them, didn't you?"

He put his cup back onto the island.

- "Yes, I did."

She shook her head in agitation; he did just as she would have preferred him not to do.

- "Stefan—"

He interrupted him before she could continue.

- "I'm sorry I lied to you, but I knew you would never have allowed me to go if I had told you the truth."

And she would not have. She could not bear the thought of losing him, but that was the reality when confronting a lion about her cub. Alexis was furious with him.

- "How could you do that? You KNOW how much she hates me… how much she hates you… how much she LOVES him, Stefan! Why would you tell her something like that? Do you even realize how STUPID that was? She would not have hesitated to kill you!"

He thought about the letter opener in his mother's hand and how close he had come to losing his life. He could never tell Alexis about the confrontation, but from the looks she gave him, he could tell that she already knew.

- "Alexis—"

He took her hands into his own, but she snatched them back from him. The tears once again welled in her eyes and Stavros made himself comfortable at the opposite end of the island stirring the thick red contents of his own mug. Dressed in a black suit, equally black shirt, and red tie, with his hair cut perfectly with sideburns aligned down his face. He had a goatee that was as impeccably maintained as his hair. He looked as handsome as he had been when he walked the earth. He watched the scene unfold between the beloved cousins, taking a sip from his mug, wiping the thick liquid from his lips thereby leaving stains on his dark fingers. He smiled once he caught her eye.

_- "Mother will always protect me, darling."_

She backed away from the island and away from him… them… both Stavros _and _Stefan. She tried not to raise her voice too loudly so as to not wake up the children, but she was filled with so much emotion having the worst thoughts swirl through her head and materialize before her in the form of her worst nightmare.

- "You see! She did… she tried to kill you, Stefan! You went over there on a suicide mission, and for WHAT reason? To rub it in her face that her son was an animal? That he RAPED me? That he BEAT me? That he keeps telling me that my beautiful little girl is a _monster _ whom I shouldn't love because she's _his. _Was it _worth _it Stefan? Was it worth having her try to kill you and leave that boy without a mother or a father? Do you even know how horrible that is? What would you have liked for me to tell him, huh? Do you think he would remember you?"

Stefan grabbed a hold of his quickly becoming hysterical cousin. At the mention of parentage, he knew that this was no longer about Nikolas; this was very much about her. He was shocked to hear her mention such a thing as she had never made any indication to him concerning them. Like everything in her life, his father placed it on a high and unreachable shelf. It seemed that the shelf of his beloved cousin's memory was collapsing on top of her and there was nothing he could do to prevent the ensuing damage.

- "Alexis, what do you know about your parents?"

She shook her head as she pressed her face into his chest and sobbed.

- "I don't know _anything _Stefan! I don't know who I am, who they are… were, who you are, who Mikkos is! I don't know! Everything is whirling in my head and I don't know what to do with it."

Stavros leaned against the back of the sofa smiling at her with his perfectly aligned, yet unusually oddly color-stained teeth. He lifted the mug in her direction.

_- "I can tell you who you are."_

Stefan, feeling her tremble in fear, rubbed her back as he held her to him. This would have been the best time to speak to her about the file his father had given him for her, but he knew the children would only interrupt them. He decided it would have to wait until that evening when they were put to bed.

- "Shh… we have a lot to discuss, cousin, but it will have to wait until later tonight."

Stavros moved closer to the cousins and ran his free hand through her hair causing her to jump back from Stefan's hold.

_- "Please be so kind as to inform him that the evenings belong to you and me, Mommy."_

Seeing her increased agitation, Stefan knew that Stavros had appeared once again to her. He reached out to her, but Alexis agitatedly shook her head. He was watching her break further into pieces.

- "Alexis, it's only me."

She backed away from him.

- "No… [ahem] Stefan, I… I, uh, I'm going to go check on the kids, okay? Why don't you—"

Stefan reached for her arm before she entered the room. Stavros stood smiling behind him as he took sips from his mug. Seeing the dead man, Alexis flinched to Stefan's touch; he immediately held his hands up in front of him.

- "Why don't you allow me to take Samantha to breakfast with Nikolas and me? In that was you can have a few minutes of repose to yourself? Take a nap? Take a shower?"

She squeezed her eyes together for a moment in the hopes that Stavros might disappear when she reopened them; she was successful. Being that they stood in front of the bedroom door, she whispered at Stefan, still furious at him for having left her to provoke his mother over something that neither one of them could or would ever change.

- "You don't think I can take care of my daughter?"

He heard the hurt in her voice. He had in no way meant to insinuate such a thing, but it was evident that her lack of sleep was not helping her current predicament. He wanted nothing more than to have her see a psychiatrist for her issues, but she would have no part of it; she was, after all, a Cassadine.

- "No darling; I meant exactly what I stated. You are about to collapse, Alexis. I know you want to be super woman, but it's not possible. You cannot take care of Sam if you're acting this way right now. She needs you… I need you, too… but you aren't you right now."

Her tears flowed freely as she stared at him in disbelief.

- "So you ARE saying that I can't take care of my daughter."

He slowly walked to where she stood and wrapped his arm around her. He removed his handkerchief and wiped away her tears. He spoke to her as gently as he had the day he learned of her pregnancy and she cried in his arms.

- "I'm saying that you need sleep, cousin. You can't survive like this, my love; you can't. You're doing no one any favors by running yourself ragged. That child has been through enough and she's looking to you to keep her safe; let me keep you safe."

- "You always have—"

He sighed deeply as he once again held her close to him.

- "If only that were true. Nevertheless, I will promise you this, Alexis: I will be damned if I fail to do as I promised you that first day you came into my life—"

She looked up at her protector. She finished his sentence.

- "You'll never allow me to be lost."

He smiled down at her before giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

- "Exactly. You are my family, the first I ever had; I would give my life before I see you hurt again by another member of that family. You mean the world to me."

Alexis laid her head onto his shoulder as they stood in their spot wondering how Stefan would save her quickly sinking ship.

Mikkos sat at the dinner table at nine thirty that evening, over an hour later than typically served in the Cassadine household. However considering the earlier disruption and Helena's trip to the graveyard, dinner was _understandably_ delayed.

- "Excuse me sir?"

The servant appeared at his side.

- "Yes, Madeleine?"

The woman wrung her fingers together unsure of how to deal with the man who signed her weekly checks, but with whom she had never, in her five years of work in the house, before had a conversation.

- "The staff has been waiting for over an hour to serve both you and Mrs. Cassadine—"

He placed his napkin onto his lap. He did not bother to look at the woman when he spoke; she was below him.

- "Is it not her rule that if you are not at the table by eight o'clock that you are not eating?"

- "Yes sir."

- "Well, seeing as I am the breadwinner of this household, her rule does not apply to me. However, it applies to her. She has shown zero mercy for any person, guest, or otherwise at her table, and I will certainly do the same in regard to her. Now, I am hungry and have waited long enough to be served."

The woman quickly nodded and left the room leaving Mikkos to curse his brother's name for dying and leaving disaster in his wake.

After a few minutes, Alexis and Stefan walked into the bedroom shocked to see that Sam had awoken. She lied in the bed clutching Danny close to her while Nikolas slept soundly beside her; she had been crying. Alexis immediately rushed to her side.

- "Baby, what's wrong?"

Sam looked at her mother then over to her Cousin Stefan. She immediately blushed before burying her face into her bear. Alexis could hear her sniffling. She attempted to lift her from the bed, but Sam refused to budge from her spot. Alexis frowned in confusion.

- "Sammy, talk to Mommy. What's the matter?"

The little girl lifted her head slightly from the bear to look only into her mother's swollen and red eyes, ignoring the sleeping boy behind her, and wonderful man with concern written all over his face. She reached and tugged at her mother's shirt so that she would come closer to her. Alexis complied. She brushed the curly hair from her daughter's ear and whispered softly so that only she might hear.

- "What's going on with my little chipmunk?"

Sam, with tears still rolling down her cheeks, covered her mouth as she then whispered into the woman's ear.

- "I had an accident. I'm sorry Mommy."

It seemed that her daughter had one at least every week. When she was completely silent and immobile due to the trauma and her casts, bed-wetting had become fairly frequent. Alexis would be so engrossed in coaxing the girl to speak or communicate in some way, she would forgot she could not walk. In fact, she would not realize Sam needed to use the facilities until the girl began to cry into her bear. Alexis always kicked herself for being so daft as to not have the sense to know upon waking, her child might like to relieve herself rather than speak to a woman who had betrayed her.

Alexis gave her a kiss on the cheek.

- "It's okay, sweetheart."

Seeing that her daughter was embarrassed over what she had done, Alexis knew Stefan and Nikolas' presence in the room further aggravated the young child's upset.

- "Stefan, I packed Nik an overnight bag when I picked him up from the hotel; it's in the living room. If you want to take the kids for breakfast and out for the day, perhaps you should wake him up now and get him ready? He can brush his teeth in the powder room."

Stefan gave her a curious look, but decided against questioning her. He simply moved to his son and lifted him from the bed rather than waking him; it was evident his cousin was attempting to rid him from the room.

- "And Samantha? Is she alright?"

She smiled at her daughter before turning her attention back to the man.

- "She just wants her Mommy, right Sammy?"

Sam buried her face into her teddy bear from the embarrassment of having yet again wet her mother's bed. She did not know when she would stop proving to the woman that she was not as disgusting and worthless as she had been accustomed to hearing from Evelyn. She might not have seen the woman in some time, but she came to her every night in her dreams to either snatch her away or to tell her that she was a monster. She would not have believed her otherwise, but she could sometimes hear her mother and Cousin Stefan talking when they thought she was asleep. She heard the word being tossed around in mentioning her. It had to be true.

Alexis held the girl's tiny hand and gave it a kiss.

- "She's fine. I'm just going to get her ready. She'll be out shortly. Okay?"

Stefan nodded and took his son, who in only his sleep appeared his tender age, from the room.

Once they were out of sight, Alexis pulled the blanket back and held her hand out to her daughter.

- "Come on chipmunk. Let's get you in the tub."

Sam wiped her eyes and put Danny on her mother's side of the bed before taking her mother's hand. They walked into the bathroom. Alexis sat at the edge of the tub as she filled it while Sam began to remove her soiled clothing.

- "I'm sorry."

Turning to look at her petite daughter, she could tell the girl was still visibly upset.

- "Honey, accidents happen; Mommy is not mad at you. I know you were probably scared, right? Evelyn is bugging you in your dreams?"

Sam nodded her head as she moved to lean into her mother. She rested her head onto the woman's lap.

- "Am I a monster?"

The young woman was completely taken aback. She shut the running water off from the tub wondering if she had heard her daughter correctly.

- "What did you just say, sweetheart?"

Sam lifted her head and looked at her mother.

- "Am I a monster?"

Alexis gasped and shook her head furiously. She moved from her seat on the tub's edge and sat on her knees so that she could be at least closer to the girl's eye level. She held her daughter's hands in her own.

- "Where'd you hear that?"

The child looked away from the woman.

- "That's what you told Cousin Stefan—"

Alexis was shocked; her daughter had heard everything that had happened between her and Stefan. It made her sick that not only was Sam aware of how unraveled she was becoming due to Stavros' presence, but now she had allowed her girl to have yet another horrendous belief about herself, one due to circumstances of which the child had no control. Stefan was right, as it stood, she was doing more harm than good to her little girl.

- "No baby, I said you weren't a monster."

- "Does Cousin Stefan… does he, does he think I'm one?"

She took Sam's face into her hand matching her big brown eyes with her own.

- "No, no of course not! Mommy was… well, you know how she has been… she was having a really rough time and saying stuff she shouldn't have. But, I would NEVER call you a monster or any other horrible name. Remember what I told you? You are my little chipmunk?"

Sam nodded as she wiped her face and rubbed her eyes.

- "I didn't hurt you?"

Alexis shook her head.

- "You could never hurt me baby."

- "It's not my fault you have all those things on your stomach and on your back?"

Alexis felt tears welling into her own eyes as she realized how she had damaged her daughter.

- "None of it is your fault, sweetheart. You are not to blame for any of it. Mommy is going through a very rough time right now, but she loves you soooo much and she doesn't want you to think that anything that she's gone through or when she cries or takes long showers, that any of that is your fault. It isn't. Do you understand?"

Sam nodded as she went into her mother's embrace. Alexis held her for a moment before releasing her. She covered her face with kisses before sticking her hand into the tub water to ensure that it was still warm.

- "Okay, into the tub."

She lifted the child into the tub and handed her the rubber ducky she now affectionately referred to as Duckbert, and loved almost as much as she loved Danny, her teddy bear.

- "We're going to do things a little bit differently today, baby."

Sam looked up from her playing.

- "How?"

- "Cousin Stefan is going to take Nikolas and you to breakfast this morning, then Agatha is going to tutor you at the hotel with Nikolas instead of here."

Because Sam was not emotionally fit to be in school, Alexis had asked Stefan to arrange for her to be tutored as Nikolas had been all of his life. The woman would come by the apartment five days a week and spend three hours teaching Sam math, English, and Greek. The child did not particularly care for the studies, but it helped that her mother stayed in close proximity if ever she felt overwhelmed.

She released the duck and grabbed her mother's hand. In the time that she had lived with Alexis since the accident, she had never had her mother out of her sight for longer than a few minutes. While she spoke to a psychiatrist twice a week for an hour, she refused to allow Alexis to leave the room; she was six, privacy, of any kind, was not at the top of her short list of priorities. In Sam's young and fragile mind, there was too much that could have happened without her mother near; too much has already gone wrong without the woman around her. As a result, she found herself growing upset at the thought that Alexis might want to leave her.

- "Why? What if I need you?"

Alexis wiped the wet hair from her daughter's face.

- "Then I'll come get you."

Sam pouted as she looked up at her mother.

- "You don't want me around you?"

- "That's not it, chipmunk; Stefan just thinks I need some time to sleep. I think he might be right. You see how crazy Mommy is getting. It's because she's not sleeping enough."

Sam stood up and reached for her mother's face. She too could tell how exhausted the woman appeared.

- "I don't think you're crazy, Mommy; I think you're tired. I won't bother you, I promise. I'll be a good girl for Cousin Stefan."

Alexis smiled at the girl before lifting her from the water and onto her lap, not caring that she was wet. She covered her face with kisses.

- "I love you so much, baby. You are never a bother to me. If you feel that you need me close, you tell Cousin Stefan and he'll bring you right to me or I'll come to you. Either way, I'm always here for you."

- "I love you too, Mommy."

She hugged her mother tightly.

- "And you promise I'm not a monster?"

Alexis held her daughter tightly in her arms.

- "You're not a monster at all."

When Mikkos finally returned to their bedroom, he already found Helena lying in their bed. He was grateful to see her there, as he wanted… needed to finish the earlier conversation. There was so much to discuss and so much to resolve. There were years of bad feelings, poor choices, regrettable mistakes, and things that simply could not ever be taken back. He knew he could never make amends for the things that he had done, should have done, and perhaps could have failed to do, but he certainly needed to try; there were innocent lives at stake.

He quickly undressed and changed into his pajamas before making his way into their bed. He ran his fingers through her hair as he had done each night when they first married… when they were once in love. Unlike then, however she pulled away from him.

- "Don't touch me."

He not in any way attempting to turn her on as he knew that their days of impromptu love-making were long gone. Such acts were reserved for Monday nights or whatever day he returned from his business trips. Despite the love lost between the couple, they still retained some form of marital union: he, for the sake of tradition, and she, to fulfill the one wifely duty she had. He ran his fingers through her hair simply because he wanted to calm her from her rage. He wanted to, for once since their son died, to have a bit of a cordial conversation with the woman.

- "Helena—"

She turned around to face him. He had the face of a stranger. For thirty years, she had been sharing her bed and her life with a man she barely knew. She was not sure if she was willing to do it any longer.

- "I meant what I said, Mikkos. I will not sit, or in this case lie, idly by and allow you to disparage my son's memory. Now, unless you care to make this your last conversation, darling, I suggest you let the situation drop."

She made a gesture to him that caused him to look downwards; she held a knife to his genitals.

- "Are we understood?"

Mikkos simply nodded his head and allowed his wife to roll back to her side of the bed. There was no point in attempting to change a leopard's spots.

Stefan and Nikolas waited patiently for Sam so that they might leave. His father had informed him that they would spend the day with the girl as Alexis had done the previous day with him. The young boy simply nodded his head in agreement.

- "Father?"

Stefan put his arm around his son. As a child, he would have loved for his father to allow him to sit so closely to him, and for him to wrap his arm around him. He would have enjoyed a moment in which he might be able to speak with the man without fear of rejection. It would have been nice to know that his father had, even if for a second in his busy life, loved him or even less, cared for him. He never realized until that moment how bothered he was about his childhood, and how deeply his parents' words to him had wounded him.

- "Agoraki mou?"

Nikolas loved when his father referred to him as 'his little son.' He worshipped the ground on which the man walked. He wanted to grow up to be his father, or at the very least, someone virtually close to the man.

- "Are we staying here? In this country, I mean?"

He looked down at his son hoping that he was not expressing a desire to leave the States. If his son's happiness meant returning to Greece, Stefan would not hesitate to do just that; it would come, however, at the sacrifice of his own joy.

- "Why do you ask?"

Nikolas enjoyed spending time with his cousin as for so long he had had no real companion aside from their servants' children who were allowed to spend the day on Sundays. It would have been enjoyable but for the fact that they stood aside and served, rather than, played with him. They referred to him as Master Nikolas, as their parents had, and did exactly as he asked without question. Sure it seemed as though it were any five year old's dream, but Nikolas was different.

He was not the type of child who played at parks or in the sand. He did not particularly care for outdoor games where he might get himself wrinkled or dirty, but he loved to color, make up stories about destruction, and watch movies concerning such things. Sam, despite her disinterest in Greek myths outside of stories about Aphrodite and ironically, Persephone, played along with him and challenged the authority he had while living alone in Greece. She was a welcomed companion to the lonely boy.

- "Because I do not want to return. I like it here with Samantha and Cousin Alexis. I miss her when we're away."

Alexis and Nikolas had a strong bond as she provided him with everything Stefan never could: motherly love.

- "You do?"

Nikolas nodded his head.

- "I know when we're away I speak with her every night, but it's not the same as seeing her everyday. And I like Samantha as well, even though she's bossy."

Stefan laughed at the thought. His cousin's daughter was as meek as a lamb; there did not, at least in his presence, appear to be a single bossy bone in her petite body.

- "Is she?"

The young boy's face lit up as he turned to his father.

- "Yes! She does not like that I do not enjoy the park, or pizza, popcorn, and cereal, or movies about fairy tales. Father, she only ever wants to watch and eat those things, and she will not allow me to read quietly when I'm with her and Cousin Alexis."

- "Is that right? And yet you want to remain here?"

Nikolas smiled.

- "But she's fun, I guess… even though…"

Stefan noticed his voice trail. He tapped the boy on the chin.

- "Even though what?"

He shrugged and leaned back into his father embarrassed to say what was on his mind, and afraid that once it left his lips that he might become upset. He never liked to cry in front of a man as strong as his father. He simply waited until he returned to his room and after his father read his bedtime story before he shed any tears from what his ailing his young heart.

- "It's alright Father. Forget it."

Stefan wanted to question the boy further, but Alexis holding a shy Sam's hand entered. Stefan and Nikolas immediately stood from their seats. She smiled at their gentlemanly mannerisms.

- "I'm sorry for taking so long. I had a difficult time letting go of my baby for the day."

Stefan smiled.

- "It's quite alright, Nikolas and I were simply having a chat. Samantha, don't you look beautiful."

She wore a purple and yellow overall dress with a white top and white stockings, along with black Mary-Jane shoes. Alexis had braided her hair into two French braids. She was a far cry from the pitiful looking child who was all but dumped at this woman's doorstep.

She returned the smile all the while refusing to detach herself from her mother.

- "Thank you, Cousin."

He held his hand out to her so he could properly greet her. She appeared to be hesitant at first, but she nevertheless released her mother's hand to go into Stefan's embrace.

- "How I've missed you, little raven."

Nikolas, seeing a clear moment, approached his favorite cousin.

- "Good morning, Cousin Alexis."

Alexis pulled the boy into her arms.

- "Good morning, little man. I hope my bed was comfortable?'

The boy blushed.

- "Yes it was, thank you. I apologize for putting you out."

She put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

- "You may put me out anytime you like, alright? I love having you here with Sam and me."

He looked over to Sam who was now in his father's arms with her head rested onto his shoulder. Nikolas copped her emotional state to being a girl.

- "What about Samantha? She needs you."

Alexis squeezed the boy's chubby cheek.

- "Do you no longer need me?"

While he shrugged his shoulders, she noticed the sadness in his eyes. She pulled him to her.

- "Well, I've got to say that I need you Nik. Okay? So you're always welcomed because you bring so much light to my day just as you always have. Nothing will ever take that away. I don't love you any less."

He gave her a single kiss on the cheek before pulling himself from her embrace; he once again blushed. He fixed his polo shirt and khaki pants; he once again regained his composure.

- "Thank you, Cousin Alexis. I am grateful for the invitation."

Seeing that he was embarrassed by his sudden show of affection, Alexis simply messed up the top of his perfectly combed hair, and allowed him to move toward his father.

- "Okay, I think you should all get going. Stefan, may I have my daughter back for one moment, please?"

Sam immediately lifted her head from his shoulder to smile and reach for her mother.

- "I don't have to go, Mommy?"

Stefan poked the girl in the belly.

- "Hey, do you not want to spend time with your Unc-[ahem] Cousin Stefan?"

He had always looked upon the child, from the moment he knew of her existence, as his niece. He loved Alexis as though she were his sister, and yet but for his brother, the beautiful girl in his arms would not be in existence. While he cursed the man's name, he thanked him all the same.

- "Would it be so horrible to spend time with the snail man?"

Sam made a face at the man; she had already made clear her disgust for the delicacy when she spit it out on her plate at the dinner table.

- "Is that what we're having for breakfast?"

Before Stefan could jokingly answer, Alexis took her daughter from his arms.

- "No sweetheart, Cousin Stefan is not going to make you eat snails for dinner OR lunch. Okay?"

She glared at the man whose face shone with a wide smile. She chastised him in French.

- "You know she's sensitive, Stefan! Don't start making ridiculous jokes that'll make her upset. If you want me to sleep, I suggest you think before you speak."

He leaned forward and kissed her on either cheek.

- "She will be fine, darling. Please ensure to pack an overnight bag for both you and the little one tonight."

- "Why?"

He smiled at the woman.

- "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

- "No."

He held his hand out for Sam; Alexis put the girl down and gave her a kiss and hug.

- "Well don't doubt me now, Alexis. I will have the car pick you up at seven this evening. We will see you for dinner, and then we will discuss what needs to be discussed. Children, say goodbye."

Nikolas waved, but Sam released the man's hand and ran to her mother pressing her face into her leg. The woman knelt to face her.

- "Remember what I told you?"

Sam nodded and whispered into her mother's ear.

- "If I need you, you'll come for me?"

Alexis returned the whisper.

- "And I meant every word."

The little girl kissed her mother's cheek before returning to her cousin. They walked out of the apartment before Sam stopped to turn around once more to look at her mother who stood at the door watching as they left.

- "Mommy?"

Alexis smiled at the little girl.

- "Yes baby?"

- "Have a good nap. Don't forget to snuggle with Danny; he likes that."

- "I won't sweetheart."

She watched as Stefan helped the children into the car and finally was driven away. For the first time since her daughter arrived in her life, Alexis felt lonely. The apartment was quiet and she was without a child to hold. She was not sure this was a great idea after all. However, Stavros chuckled behind her.

- "_It's not so bad, now is it? I'm here with you."_

Without attempting to see in what form he decided to reappear, she ran into her bedroom locking the door behind her. Perhaps it was sleep that she needed to rid herself of her demon.

He laughed as he lied onto the couch awaiting her return.

_- "It's not that easy, my dear, it's not that easy. I'll see you when you awake."_

The next morning, Helena stared out of the window lost in her own thoughts. She imagined all of the ways in which she could have murdered Stefan with her bare hands for the deplorable things that he had said about her son. What did he know about love… Stefan? Who was he to dare call her son a monster? Stefan was the last person who should sit in judgment of the one person in her life who had ever given a damn about her… truly given a damn. He had no right… to anything.

And then there was Mikkos; that son of a bitch lived in his own cold and unfeeling world. He had shown her long ago that his pride was far more important than her happiness and well-being. He had proven to her that nothing mattered outside of himself. He did nothing for her… nothing to protect her… nothing to show her that he loved her. Nothing. He was the reason behind it all and yet he pointed fingers elsewhere. Mikkos Cassadine was a poor excuse of a man who could never teach her son what it was to be a man who stood up for the woman he loved. How could he when the only person he loved stared back at him each day in the mirror?

Stavros. Yes, her Stavros… he was a true man. Only he thought only of her. He always put her first. She had raised a proper man, one whom Mikkos never, even in their early years, could be. Stavros.

_**Flashback**_

_She watched as he strode into the library with a look of pride and absolute arrogance on his face and in his eyes. She knew her son like the back of her hand; she knew the look. She could see the sense of accomplishment well within him as he walked toward him with his head held high. He was filled with such pride, but she was not certain whether his acts were praiseworthy. She had seen this before._

_- "Stavros, what have you done?"_

_He smiled as he took the final steps to approach her._

_- "Hello Mother."_

_He leaned down to kiss her cheeks._

_- "Why do you presume that I have done anything?"_

_Her eyes followed him as he walked to the chair across from her and had a seat. She knew him. She knew him too well._

_- "Where have you been, son? I haven't seen you since yesterday for breakfast. Mariska has informed me that you did not make it home last night."_

_He rolled his eyes at the thought of his wife. He never wanted to marry the woman, but his father had informed him that he was approaching his thirties and it was inappropriate for him to remain single for much longer. Mikkos reminded the brutish man that he would soon be inheriting his grandfather's empire and would need an heir to whom he would later pass the reigns. Although Stavros, unlike Stefan, had very little interest in work and instead preferred to spend his days at the local bars, Mikkos had no interest in affording Stefan the right to fully inherit Cassadine Empire Steel. As a result, he was given her, Mariska, the daughter of Dmitri Stanislav, the owner of a competing steel company, so that they might merge the two companies thereby eliminating any further competition. There was no love to be shared between either party._

_- "My, my mother, why so suspicious? I was simply visiting out little mouse. I wanted to make sure that she was well-acclimated in her new American environment. You can't possibly fault me for that."_

_She felt her heart's pace increase ten-fold within her; it beat so hard she thought it might burst through her chest. She swallowed hard as her son gave her a knowing look._

_- "What have done?"_

_Stavros leaned back into the chair with a smile on his face as his mind recalled the previous evenings events. He thought about the look of terror on her face, the tears that rolled down her cheeks, and the blood on the sheets on which he left her lying naked and bruised. He chuckled as the sounds of her sobs escaped her lips and could be heard through the bathroom door as he showered, and continued to hear as he closed the door behind him and walked out of the room. He had allowed her to keep it for the night._

_- "I have given little Alexandra exactly what she had deserved."_

_She closed her eyes as she shook her head. Never before had she felt such disgust and anger towards her son. This was the very first time in her life as his mother that she felt disappointed and ashamed to call him her son._

_- "Stavros—"_

_She opened her eyes so that she could look at him; his smug demeanor terrified her. _

_- "Why would you do such a thing? God, I didn't raise you to… to… do… that! How could you?"_

_He frowned at the disdain he noticed in her eyes; he had been certain that she would have been proud of him. This was not the reaction he had expected. _

_He immediately rushed to sit beside her._

_- "Mother, you know very well why I did it! You hate her… and with just cause! She stole my sister's name—"_

_She shook her head._

_- "Believe me, that was not your sister's name. Alexandra is a far cry from Sophia Alexis."_

_- "It's close enough, Mother. And worst of all, she came here… unwelcomed. She did not need to be here. She certainly was not wanted. Can't you see, I did it for you!"_

_Helena took the man's face into her hands; he looked exactly as a young Mikkos had. She could look into his eyes forever and always be comforted and remember the love they had once shared. She stared into them and gained a newfound understanding of her beloved boy. Her heart filled with more love than she had ever thought imaginable. Alas, she could not accept and ignore what he had done._

_- "Never this way, Stavros."_

_He stared back into her green eyes unsure of the emotion they were attempting to convey. _

_- "Mother, really; you cannot be upset over this! That girl—"_

_He stopped speaking when she released his face. He saw her attempts to recompose herself before speaking. He allowed her just that._

_Helena took a deep breath before speaking once again to her son. She felt the wave of shame wash through her just as the love for him flooded her heart; the former could never be in competition with the latter. Her love for him would always win._

_- "I don't condone what you did, Stavros. It was cruel, but I will support you one hundred percent. You are my son. I will not allow her to attempt to ruin you by telling lies…"_

_She stressed the final word so that he might understand that as far as she was concerned none of this had occurred. Her son was not capable of such an inhumane act._

_- "So, where were you last night?"_

_He smiled at his mother before kissing her gently on the forehead._

_- "I was visiting my dear Grandfather Komensky; he had asked me to come by for a visit. What better time than an August in the always beautiful Prague? I'm certain he can vouch for this, Mother. He sends his love."_

_And it was true, Cristof Komensky would do anything for his daughter and the son whom she adored._

_Helena nodded before moving toward the console table._

_- "I will call him right now."_

_**End of Flashback**_

From that moment onwards, she vowed that she would protect her son. In death, she would protect his honor.

- "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now preparing to board flight 354 destined for Newark International Airport. Will passengers holding first and business class tickets please begin boarding?"

Helena took a deep breath as she picked up her carry-on bag and approached the counter. She handed the flight attendant her boarding pass. The woman pleasantly smiled at the mysterious woman.

- "Good evening Miss Komensky. Please enjoy your flight."

Helena nodded curtly and walked through the door towards her awaiting plane.


	16. Bastards

You all crack me up IMMENSELY! I think Nikolas might be Pinocchio.

Many thanks for your reviews. They are incredibly inspirational. Please keep them coming and share your thoughts!

UNEDITED!

**PART ONE **

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Bastards**

--- " So you're coming here from Greece, Ms. Komensky?"

Helena sat in the car feeling slightly jet-lagged, but anxious to reach her destination. The drive was proving to be traffic-filled and the driver had some notion that she was interested in partaking in dialog with him. Clearly he was unaware that she was not one to socialize or make small talk with the help; and for the next hour to two hours, depending on how long the drive would take, he was her help. Whatever he needed to say, she had no interest in listening or engaging in conversation with him.

--- "Sir, please keep an eye on the road rather on my heritage. If you don't mind, I think our time together would be best served in silence. I assure you that you and I have nothing in common."

The man looked at her through the rear-view mirror. He had been working as a driver for nearly ten years; she was neither the first, nor would she be the last rich and conceited passenger he was charged to drive.

--- "Whatever you like, ma'am."

She shot him a glaring look toward the same mirror in which he viewed her. He quickly shifted his gaze back onto the road.

Helena looked out her mirror to the filthy streets of the state of New Jersey; she hated the States and anticipated her return to the country she had called home for thirty-two years. Alas, she was on a mission; she would not return home until she accomplished it.

_**Flashback**_

_She walked into the girl's room to find her on her bed lying on her back staring at the ceiling. The woman smirked at the sight._

_--- "My, my, my, it seems that must have been the position you took when the bastard inside of you came to be created."_

_Alexandra had just been told that under no circumstance would a girl of 16 be allowed to raise a baby. She was told she would need to finish her education, be successful in her career, and then she could begin a family. By that time, Mikkos assured her, she would surely have forgotten about the first child she had given away. She knew, however, that this could never be. There was no way she could ever forget her baby. The child growing inside of her would always have a piece, if not all of her heart._

_She sat up in the bed to look at the woman._

_--- "She's not a bastard, Hel—ma'am."_

_Helena eyes her evilly; she wanted terribly for the girl to have called her by her first name. It would have given her much pleasure to smack her name from the pregnant girl's mouth. Instead she calmly spoke._

_--- "Do you know what the term bastard means, Alexandra?"_

_The girl looked to the floor knowing that according to the definition, her child was just as Helena described. Her feelings of knowing that the definition was inapplicable were of no consequence to the evil woman._

_--- "Um… well…"_

_Helena shook her head in agitation._

_--- "You shut up right now!"_

_Having zero patience for the girl's stalling techniques, Helena walked to the bookshelf and grabbed a dictionary. She threw it onto the bed without any care that it might hit the pregnant teen._

_--- "Look in there, you ignorant bottom-feeder, and you read to me EXACTLY what is written as the definition of bastard."_

_Alexandra, keeping her eyes averted from the woman's deathly gaze, opened the book. She flipped to section B and quickly found the word 'bastard.'_

_--- "Bastard, a—"_

_The woman interrupted her._

_--- "And I want every single definition, not just those you deem less fitting for that thing inside of you."_

_The teen slowly nodded her head and read._

_--- "Bastard, a person born of unmarried parents, an illegitimate child. Bastard, a vicious, despicable, or thoroughly disliked person. Bastard, something irregular, inferior, spurious, or unusual."_

_Helena sat at the girl's desk with her eyes closed as the definitions were read. She opened her eyes once Alexandra had finished. She turned to her._

_--- "You see. According to the definition, regardless of whether you believe me or not concerning everything written after the first definition, you must admit that you, even in this deplorable condition, are not married. Am I right?"_

_Alexandra nodded silently. Helena stood up from her seat._

_--- "I am speaking to you, Alexandra! I demand a verbal response!"_

_For the first time, the girl looked at the woman, but ensured to not make eye contact._

_--- "Yes ma'am; you are correct. I am not married._

_Helena smiled threateningly as she approached the girl._

_--- "And if you are not married, what does that, per the definition, make that thing growing inside of your pathetic body?"_

_The teen did not want to repeat the word, so she kept her head bowed low. Helena, on the other hand, wanted to hear them; she had a point to prove. She grabbed Alexandra's chin as tightly as she could and brought her face as close to hers as was possible without making contact. She sneered at the girl with such venom, the teen could feel the older woman's spit hit her face with each word spoken._

_--- "You will answer me when I ask you a question! For the second time: if you are not married, what does that, per the definition make that child?"_

_The tears rolled down Alexandra's cheeks as she finally locked her brown eyes with the woman's green ones. Her voice was shaky, but it was nevertheless a voice that would for what she intended to be the first and the last time since she fell in love with the growing life, be used to disparage her baby._

_--- "A bastard."_

_The older woman smiled, but did not put any distance between her and the girl._

_--- "Repeat it in a full and complete sentence, Alexandra. My family's money is not being used to send you to a fancy private boarding school in the States so that you can only have sex with whatever boy offers you an ice cream cone. No, you will use that fancy education right here and right now! For the third, and what had better be the last, time: what, per the definition, is that thing inside of you?"_

_Alexandra began to sob from the pain with which the woman held her, and the distress of what she was being made to say. She could not wait to be put out of the misery of living in the Cassadine's abusive household._

_--- "She is a bastard. My baby is a bastard!"_

_Helena felt a wave of satisfaction run through her body. She released the girl and moved about the room._

_--- "Exactly. Your child is a bastard, and don't you DARE forget that Alexandra. She is a fatherless bastard." _

_She stopped pacing to once again lock eyes with the girl. _

_--- "Are we understood?"_

_Alexandra's mouth hung open. She knew. She knew what her son had done to her and yet she stood in her room threatening her. She had always feared the woman to the point of paralyzation in her presence, but hate had never truly had a place within her; the fear was too great. However, as she endured the woman's menacing glares of absolute disdain at her pregnant state, hate replaced the fear in the teen's heart._

_She dried her eyes and stood so that she could face the woman. She knew it unwise, but she could not help herself._

_--- "You don't even care about what he did to me, do you?"_

_Helena turned in shock at the girl's audacity to question her. Her icy glare focused on the girl's belly. She would have preferred the proof of her son's poor lapse in judgment not come into being. She had no desire for anyone to associate her son to such a disgusting and uncivilized act._

_--- "I suggest you sit back down before you do anything that might harm that child."_

_The teen's mouth remained uncooperative in remaining silent._

_--- "How could you protect him! He beat me and raped me!"_

_Helena moved quicker than the girl had anticipated; the blow to her face came without warning. She held her face in shock, but refused to cry for the woman's pleasure. Using one hand, Helena grabbed her by the top of the shirt and brought her threateningly close with her other hand balled in a fist at the girl's stomach._

_--- "I suggest you learn to keep your mouth shut otherwise I will not hesitate to end the pathetic life of your precious bastard. Do NOT test my patience, Alexandra; you don't know what lengths I will go to protect my child."_

_Suddenly the door, without prior notification, opened to reveal her youngest and quite inferior son standing there. He appeared to be foaming at the mouth at the scene before him._

_--- "You let go of her this instance, you reckless shrew!"_

_Helena, not in the mood to exchange dialog of any kind with the worthless man, released the girl and shoved her backwards; she fell onto the bed. Stefan ran to her side._

_--- "Did this bitch hurt you?"_

_Alexandra could feel the woman's eyes on her. She protectively placed her hands onto her belly; her baby kicked her. She said a silent prayer of gratitude under her breath before turning to her cousin._

_--- "I'm fine. She was just reminding me that I'm nothing but a charity case and my baby will not be living in the same luxury. She just wanted to rub it in my face that my baby will be someone else's burden as I am to her and Cousin Mikkos."_

_Helena smiled at the girl._

_--- "Well, I'll leave you two… things… to have a conversation concerning your hate for me. And Stefan—"_

_The young man glared the woman who had given him life._

_--- "What do you want?"_

_She pointed a finger at him._

_--- "You mind your manners when you speak to me! Although she's already knocked-up, there are condoms in her bedside drawer. Please be sure to use one this time."_

_She walked out of the room completely certain the secret would remain just that, a secret._

_**End of Flashback**_

And so she was wrong. She overestimated the bottom-feeding bitch's intellect; she had done the worst thing possible in letting that man know what had happened to her. She did not understand why the girl felt the need to test her patience. Surely she must have known she would never win.

Helena shook her head in disgust as the car finally, after four hours of bumper to bumper traffic, arrived at her destination.

* * *

_--- "Mommy, can you tell me a story?"_

_The woman, a beautiful blond with green eyes, smiled at the recently turned four year old girl._

_--- "Anything for my baby. Which story do you want?"_

_Her voice was of a soft English accent. She passed her fingers through the child's curly dark brown hair._

_Before the child could respond, a man stood in the doorway watching them. _

_--- "Natasha, I'm hurt!"_

_The sleepy little girl took her thumb from her mouth. She smiled at her father._

_--- "Why Daddy?"_

_He walked into the room and sat on the other side of the bed. The girl was now between both of her parents._

_--- "Because you promised Daddy that he could tell you a story tonight."_

_She looked at the dark haired man with the equally eyes; her father was the most handsome man she had ever, in her four years of life, seen._

_--- "I forgot!"_

_He acted as though he were hurt by her forgetfulness._

_--- "Very well then, Natasha. It's fine; I'll find some other little girl who'll want to hear my stories."_

_His wife smacked him on the arm when she noticed her daughter's eyes begin to well with tears._

_--- "Will you stop it, Andy? Natasha, Daddy is being silly; ignore him."_

_Natasha nodded and looked at her father._

_--- "I'll always want to hear your stories, Daddy; you too, Mommy."_

_Unfortunately for the little girl, when she turned to look at her mother, the woman was gone._

_--- "Momma? Daddy, where did she go?"_

_She did not receive a response from the man; he was gone._

_--- "Daddy? Momma! Where did you go!"_

_She looked around. Holding the hand of the man who claimed to be her uncle, she stared at two shallow graves belonging to Andreus Alexander and Elizabeth Natasha Cassadine. She did not know them. They were two strangers; and they were dead._

Alexis jolted from her sleep. She looked at the clock. It was five in the evening; she had slept for eight hours straight. She could not believe that she had accomplished such a feat. The last time she had slept so long, it had perhaps been the night her daughter had been returned to her; there was nothing that could have made her sleep more sound than holding her sweet child in her arms. And despite having the child with her for weeks, she lied in the bed feeling more rested than she had been in weeks; she almost felt guilty because of it. The one night (or day in this case) she managed to get hours worth of sleep, it was because her daughter was not with her. What kind of mother did that make her?

She never wanted to feel as though her child was to blame for her exhaustion; that simply was not the truth. And yet, there was Stavros, sitting at the end of her bed nodding emphatically at her that Sam was to blame. She threw her pillow in his direction, but he quickly disappeared before it touched him.

--- "It isn't true and you know it!"

She cursed his name. It was her love for the girl, the memories she clearly repressed, and his constant presence, that remained the primary culprit. Sam was not to blame for any of this.

Thinking of the dream she had just had, she sat up and turned on her bedside lamp. She opened the nightstand drawer and quickly grabbed the journal she kept. Finding and empty page, one of the final remaining in the book, she jotted down the names on the tombstone's she had seen in her dream: Andreus Alexander and Elizabeth Natasha Cassadine. There was no Davidovitch. Perhaps it was her mother's maiden name? It could not have been a coincidence that the man who appeared to be her father in the dream, had the name she carried until she was sixteen years old. Mikkos must have named after her parents, or at the very least, after her father. But that did not explain why she remembered him introducing himself as her uncle, or why she had apparently been called Natasha, or why her name had been changed in the first place, and why her true identity was hidden from her. None of this made any sense.

She unlatched her locket and opened it to look at the two people she knew to be her parents. She saw the resemblance. They were truly hers. And there she was, perhaps two or three years old, being held in their arms. While she had some features of her mother's particularly with the dimples cheeks, the shape of the face, and the eyes, there was no mistaking it, she was her father's spitting image. This was the first time she ever noticed this. In fact, this was the first time she looked at the image and truly saw the people who gave her life; her anger with them for leaving her with the Cassadines, had always seemed to outweigh any love she should have had for the strangers. But now, after 18 years, the people in the photograph had names, and they were her parents.

She then turned to the picture on the other side of the locket: it was of her newborn baby girl. When her cousin… her uncle… Mikkkos… ripped that child from her arms, she had been certain that she would never see her again. And yet, sitting on her nightstand was a more recent picture of the girl taken the previous week while sitting for lunch in Sam's new favorite cafe up the block. She had just gotten the final cast removed from her leg and was therefore all smiles. Alexis loved the girl's sweet smile. She needed to speak to the bright light of her life.

She reached for her cell phone so that she could check on Sam, but she noticed that there were five missed calls; they were all from Stefan's number. Her heart beat faster than she had thought possible as she prayed nothing bad had occurred to her daughter. She hit send and listened as the phone rang.

Ring.

She could not believe she had slept through five calls after she told her daughter if she needed her she would come to her. What if she had?

Ring.

She could not have possibly let that child down again. Not after what had occurred the last time. God, things had been going so well for them. Sam was laughing, smiling, and becoming quite the chatterbox. Alexis prayed that she did not ruin this once again.

Ring.

Finally, he answered.

--- "Hello Cousin. Did you sleep well?"

She attempted to speak despite the feeling that her heart was beating in her throat.

--- "Stefan, is she… is she alright?"

He flagged Sam to her side.

--- "Yes, she's fine dear. Why do you sound so… unrested? You have been sleeping for quite a few hours—"

She let out a deep aggravated sigh.

--- "God Stefan, what do you expect? I had FIVE missed calls from your number! How do you think I'm supposed to react?"

He smiled at her concern; she was a wonderful mother in spite of the poor example she was given growing up in the Cassadine household.

--- "Darling, did you listen to the voicemails? Samantha simply wanted to make sure that you were doing well and wanted to tell you about her day. She was an angel, Alexis; there were no emotional breakdowns. Don't worry."

--- "Is that my Mommy, Cousin Stefan?"

--- "Yes darling, one second alright?"

She nodded as she leaned against the man. He put his hand on her shoulder, while she wrapped her arm around his leg.

Upon hearing her daughter's calm voice, Alexis' heart finally slowed down and returned to its place in her chest. Sam wanted to speak with her; she must not have been distressed when she had called.

--- "No, I didn't listen to the voicemails, but I hear my baby. May I speak to her, please?"

--- "Of course you may although I'm feeling quite neglected, Alexis—"

She rolled her eyes.

--- "You know how much I love you Stefan. I just happen to be _in_ love with a three foot tall little girl with dimples."

He shook his head as he chuckled on the line.

--- "Understandable dear, she is rather adorable, although my four foot tall boy is quite handsome."

--- "There's NO question about that, cousin, look at his father!"

Stefan smiled as he looked at his son who sat quietly coloring his image of his favorite Greek God: Ares, the Greek God of War. His son was truly his pride and joy; he was the spitting image of his mother. She was a beautiful and petite olive-colored woman with long, straight jet-black hair, beautifully arched eyebrows, a straight nose, full lips, and strikingly beautiful hazel eyes. In addition, she had an identifiable mole on her neck that added to her exotic look. Aside from her height, Nikolas inherited it all from her, including the mole, which sat slightly away from the corner of his lips. His eyes were the only things that identified him as a Cassadine child.

--- "You really are quite flattering, Alexis; but you certainly should not insult the child. It isn't kind. Now, let me pass you to the little raven who has held firm to my leg as though she were perched onto a tree branch."

He looked down to the child who barely stood at his mid-thigh; she really was quite petite.

--- "Samantha, would you like to speak with your mother?"

The child smiled widely as she looked up at him. She immediately unlatched her arm from his leg.

--- "Yes, please Cousin Stefan."

He handed her the phone.

--- "Here you go, my raven. Take as long as you like, but please be sure to remind your mother that she must pack a bag for you both."

Sam nodded and took the phone.

--- "Hi Mommy!"

Alexis' heart melted at the sound of the girl's sweet voice.

--- "Hi chipmunk! How are you? Are you having a good time with Cousin Stefan and Nikolas?"

Sam turned to look at her cousin who had returned to the coloring he had been doing with her and Nikolas.

--- "Yea, we went to the diner you took me to when you took me back from Evelyn, Mommy."

She remembered.

--- "And whose suggestion was that?"

Sam pointed to herself.

--- "Mine! I wanted to go someplace I liked and I knew—"

She whispered into the handset.

--- "…didn't have weird food."

Alexis laughed into the phone. Her daughter had an adorable personality; she wanted to just eat her up, or at the very least keep her that little forever.

--- "Yes, well I believe you chose well, sweetheart; the diner doesn't serve weird food. What did you have for breakfast?"

--- "Um, I got cereal—"

While Sam certainly loved cereal, Alexis knew Stefan would never have allowed her to have only that. In his mind, cereal was an inadequate meal… if one even had the nerve to refer to it as such.

--- "Baby, surely you ate more than cereal!"

Sam nodded as though her mother could see her.

--- "Cousin Stefan made me get scrambled eggs and toast! AND I had strawberries with whipped cream for dessert! Nikolas, of course, said he didn't like the food; he didn't even want to try, Mommy!"

Nikolas, having overheard his cousin on the phone, pouted in her direction.

--- "That isn't true, Samantha! I tried to eat the eggs, but they tasted fake! There was something wrong with them; Father also agreed! And strawberries aren't even in season yet! The ones you had were disgusting!"

Sam quickly stuck her tongue at him while Stefan's patted Nikolas on the head to calm him down. She returned to her conversation with Alexis.

--- "Mommy, he's listening to me talk to you! He's not supposed to do that!"

Nikolas quickly slipped off his chair to approach her.

--- "NO! Cousin Alexis said I mustn't listen to ADULT conversations, Samantha! You are a child, you don't count!"

Stefan, although amused by the banter Alexis had informed him occurred between the children while he was away, did not tolerate any form of rude behavior. His son's constant interruptions of his cousin's conversation were ill-mannered.

--- "Nikolas! Allow Samantha to speak with Cousin Alexis. Come sit down and finish your coloring with me. I believe Ares needs more gold for his armor."

The boy scowled at the girl before returning to his seat without argument.

Alexis could sense her daughter was gloating at the boy's mild scolding; she did not like that side of the child's personality. It reminded her too much of… No… she would not have him think he was getting to her. She took a deep breath before speaking; from the corner of her eye she could see him materialize. He would mock her soon enough. She did not want him to do so while she was on the line with her daughter.

--- "Samantha?"

Sam's ears burned; her mother only called her 'Samantha' when she was being serious, which typically meant she had done something bad.

--- "Yes Mommy?"

--- "I know you stuck your tongue out at Nikolas—"

Her eyes began to fill with tears at having been found out.

--- "I'm sorry, Mommy."

Alexis could hear the change in her daughter's voice; she did not want to dim her bright light.

--- "I forgive you, chipmunk; but you must apologize to Nikolas."

Sam nodded and turned to her younger cousin.

--- "I'm sorry Nikolas for sticking my tongue out at you. It was rude."

The boy looked up from his picture and smiled at her.

--- "It's quite alright, Samantha. I forgive you."

Alexis chuckled as she listened to the exchange. Despite the children's profound differences, they were the very best of friends. They reminded her of the relationship she shared with Stefan.

--- "I just want you to remember your manners, okay? It's not nice to stick your tongue out at people. Do you understand?"

Sam turned her back to her cousins; she did not want them to see her cry.

--- "Okay Mommy."

Alexis heard her baby sniffling.

--- "No tears, alright sweetheart?"

--- "Okay Mommy."

--- "That's my good girl. Now, what else did you do today?"

Sam wiped with her sleeve the final tears that fell to her cheek as she thought about the day's events.

--- "Um, we went to the museum."

Alexis rolled her eyes. Only Stefan would deem the museum a fun pastime for two children.

--- "And how did you like that?"

She once again whispered into the phone. Stefan snickered to himself as he heard every word; children were not the greatest whispers.

--- "I didn't, but don't tell Cousin Stefan that, Mommy; he and Nikolas liked it. Nikolas showed me all the Greek statues and they were all naked, Mommy! Uncle Stefan said that's art! That's not how they look in the coloring books he bought us- they have clothes on in those. I like that art better."

Alexis laughed at the girl's exclamation.

--- "I think I agree with you, chipmunk."

Sam continued her recount of the day.

--- "And Nikolas knew all their names. He's smart."

It was true. Nikolas was a highly intelligent. He had begun speaking when he was barely two years old. By the age of three, he had mastered not only Greek, but also spoke Russian fluently, and was quickly on his way to speaking English as a native. As it stood, and as was her last calculation, the boy should have been learning Italian; they decided to hold off on the French, as Stefan and Alexis wanted the ability to continue to have private conversations without the child's comprehension.

--- "And so are you honey. You're getting very good in Greek!"

She stated her final sentence in the language.

Sam smiled and continued to speak to her mother, but unconsciously so, in Greek.

--- "Uh-huh. And Agatha told me that I might be better than any other student she's had. She said I'm learning fast, Mommy!"

And she was. It astounded Alexis how quickly Sam had picked up the language despite only learning it for less than a month. However aside from the hour Agatha spoke to her in Greek each day, Alexis and Stefan did the same for most of the day; they each split their time. Where Alexis spoke to her in English in the morning, Stefan spoke in Greek; they switched roles in the evenings. Nikolas too, would join in the language by speaking to the girl in only Greek except when they argued; in such circumstances, he wanted her to understand every word her spoke. It seemed the immersion was working quite well.

--- "Mommy?"

--- "Yes, baby."

Sam bit her lip before speaking.

--- "Did you miss me today?"

Alexis looked over to Danny the Bear. If ever there were a more graciously received and cherished gift than the Statute of Liberty, it was this bear. Her daughter could not sleep without him near her. Alexis smiled at him.

--- "I missed you more than you can imagine, sweetheart."

The little girl smiled to herself making the dimples on her cheeks quite pronounced.

--- "I missed you too. I called you to tell you that, but you didn't pick up the phone. Cousin Stefan said you were probably sleeping and that's why you couldn't hear the phone. Did you have any bad dreams?"

She hated that her daughter knew so much.

--- "No baby; I slept just fine. I just missed you beside me, but Danny kept me company."

--- "Good! I told him to Mommy! And when you take a bath, you can borrow Duckbert! I told him to make sure to help you get all cleaned up."

The rubber duck was the second best gift she'd gotten the girl.

--- "I will chipmunk. Now, I'm going to get myself ready so I can come to you."

Sam jumped up in excitement. She did not think she would have been able to survive one more hour without her mother near; she missed her more terribly than she had even let on.

--- "Good."

Alexis heard her excitement. She, ignoring the freshly rotting corpse standing beside the drawer watching her every move, opened the girl's bottom drawer filled with pajamas.

--- "Which pajamas would you like for me to bring for you?"

She thought for a moment.

--- "Ariel please! And Mommy?"

Alexis, after grabbing a pair of sweats, t-shirt, and underwear for herself, picked out the pair of pajamas requested and threw them onto the bed with matching underwear. She walked into the closet to grab a duffle bag and an outfit for herself and for Sam.

--- "Yes baby?"

--- "Don't forget Danny, okay?"

She walked back to the bed with the bag. She smiled at the bear before placing him into the bag.

--- "I'd never forget him; he means too much to you. I'll see you soon, okay?"

--- "Okay. Bye Mommy, I love you."

--- "I love you too, chipmunk! Bye."

She hung up the phone and sat on her bed staring at her daughter's picture; she felt incredibly blessed. Unfortunately, Stavros approached her with thoughts set on ruining her happiness. With each step, his clothes threatened to slip from his emaciated and decaying body; he did not seem to notice. She, on the other hand, was repulsed at the thought that she might see the state of his flesh after the maggots and arms got to him.

--- "Please leave."

He moved to sit beside her, but she quickly moved to the spot near the dresser he had previously occupied. He shrugged at her dismissal.

_--- "What a precocious little girl we have in little Samantha! But really Alexis, you must cut the umbilical cord! A Cassadine child should not be allowed to be so soft and attached to you. My goodness, that child is at your breast more than a nursing child! It's unnatural."_

She threw her hairbrush at him. She missed.

--- "God Stavros; you are vile! If anyone spent an unnatural amount of time attached to his mother's teat it would be you! You were the biggest mama's boy I had ever seen. I'm quite certain she was nursing you until someone did us all the favor of killing your sorry ass!"

He laughed at her bravado.

_--- "Such a voice on someone like you, Alexis. You know, Even in death I can still harm you, gumdrop. I suggest you keep that in mind when speaking so lowly about me. Now, I'm certain you want to shower prior to filthying yourself with the lot you call a family. Well, I suppose you all are made for each other after all. I'd stay and watch you undress, but for some reason your body no longer interests me—"_

She wanted to vomit.

--- "It never should have! I was your cousin!"

He shrugged his shoulders before standing up from his spot. He shook his leg of the creatures that had attached themselves to it. She watched as they quickly scattered upon hitting the floor; she wondered if she would need to call an exterminator. Perhaps not; surely the bugs were as much of a figment of her imagination as he.

_--- "Yes, well nevertheless it has gotten so… what is that word I'm looking for? Unattractive! Yes, that's it! Your body has gotten so unattractive since you had the little bastard. It's a shame, really; you have such a pretty face."_

He smiled as he stood in front of her, pinning her against the wall. He pressed the side of his face most eaten by the bugs against her impeccable skin; he wanted her to feel the stinging of the bites he felt day in and day out.

--- "Leave me alone! Why can't you rest in peace? Why are you tormenting me like this?"

She felt as though the bugs crawling all around him had attached themselves to her as well. She could feel them making their way, with their numerous feet, down her shirt. She needed a shower.

_--- "Because I can… because I won't dare let you forget what that child is and from whom she comes. There is nothing you can do to escape that reality. Despite what you say, you can't possibly love that girl… that thing… when you hate me so much. Whose personality do you think she has? Yours? Certainly not. She's all me, NATASHA. And you will ALWAYS remember that."_

He forcefully grabbed her face and shoved his tongue down her throat sending maggots, worm-filled dirt, and all formed of animals that feasted on his body for dinner, crawling into her. She gagged to his touch, crying as she willed him out of her mind. He removed his tongue from her mouth and rested his forehead onto hers. He smiled at the sight of her tears; he licked them as they streamed down her cheeks.

_--- "I'll see you soon, Spawn."_

And then he was gone. She sunk to the floor in tears tearing her clothes off and throwing them across the room feeling as though the bugs might still be making their home in the fabric. If sleep did not rid her of his evilness, she wondered what could.

* * *

That evening, Mikkos walked into the library after a rather unproductive workday at his office expecting to see his wife awaiting the clock to hit the eight o'clock hour. He was shocked to find her missing. Well, missing was not exactly the appropriate word as he had not a clue as to where she was in their rather large home. However, in their thirty-two years, he had always found her, when he returned from his office, in the library either reading a book, doting on Stavros, or sneering in Stefan's direction. When he brought Alexis into his household, Helena could be found, on most nights, standing over the girl as she watched her write the most astounding and sometimes cruel lines: _I will not inconvenience another family with my worthless waste of life. _

He would have, and perhaps should have, put a stop to such punishment, but long ago he and his wife had designated the roles of the house: he was the breadwinner and she, the disciplinarian. In the way in which he would not allow her to overstep her boundaries in the spending of the money, he would not undermine her role as she ran the household. It was only fair.

He glanced at his watch; it was seven-thirty. He walked into the dining room wondering if the woman might be in there. It would have been odd for her to enter the room prior to the hour at which dinner was served, but she had a tendency to oversee the setting of her table when in a poor mood. She happened to be the servants' worse nightmare at such times.

--- "Good evening Christine."

The woman looked over to the man shocked that he was addressing her.

--- "Good evening sir."

He noticed that she had set the table for one. He frowned in her direction.

--- "What is the meaning of this? Why is there only one place-setting?"

Christine placed the final piece of silverware onto the table.

--- "Sir, Mrs. Cassadine is not here."

--- "It is seven-thirty; surely she will return for dinner."

The woman shook her head.

--- "No sir; she left early this morning with her luggage in hand. She asked that you be given this."

She handed him the letter that she had been keeping for him. He brusquely ripped it from her hands, angered that his wife would leave the house for God knows where without any mention to him. He tore the envelope open.

_Mikkos, _

_Seeing as you were not manly enough to do as should have been done years ago, I have taken it upon myself to rectify the situation myself. _

_Lovingly Your Wife,_

_Helena_

He read the letter three times over before storming from the room without another word spoken to the servant. He needed to make a phone call.

* * *

Sam held her picture of the Goddess Hera up for Stefan to see. She had colored the image with brown hair, red robes and matching nail polish, along with a golden crown. She smiled at her accomplishment.

--- "Look Cousin Stefan!"

The man looked across the table at his young niece's picture.

--- "My goodness Samantha, you are an artist! What a wonderful picture!"

The child nodded in agreement as she turned the image so that she could look at it herself.

--- "Thank you. It's for my Mommy."

Nikolas looked up from his coloring to look at his cousin's. He frowned slightly at the image.

--- "Samantha, those are not supposed to be roses in her hand. The Goddess Hera is known for the peacock; she is holding the feathers. You should have made it green and blue, not green and red."

Before Stefan could speak to his son about his criticism of his cousin's coloring, Sam spoke up in defense of herself.

--- "It doesn't matter what you think it's supposed to be NIKOLAS, _my _Mommy will like it because I made just for her! Besides, who holds feathers in their hands? That's stupid."

Nikolas groaned in annoyance at the girl as he resumed his coloring.

--- "If you want to give Cousin Alexis an incorrect picture, that's fine. I just thought you should know."

--- "I DON'T CARE!"

Sam threw her crayon onto the table and ran into the bedroom of the suite Stefan had told her she would be sharing with her mother that evening. She curled into a ball on the bed hoping her mother would arrive soon.

Stefan let out a sigh as he looked at his son who remained unphased by the way in which he had hurt the sensitive girl's feelings.

--- "Nikolas."

The boy's ears burned; he knew he had done wrong. He put his crayon down and looked over to his father.

--- "Yes Father?"

Stefan stared at the boy for a moment before speaking; it was as though he were looking at a fourteen year old young man rather than a five year old boy. It terrified him how mature his son could be; how he had raised his child, but allowed him to bypass such integral formative years as childhood. He envied Sam's innocence and wished it for Nikolas.

--- "That was uncalled for—"

Nikolas interrupted the man.

--- "But she did it wrong!"

Stefan put his hand up to stop the child from continuing to speak out of turn.

--- "Nikolas, what difference does it make whether or not Samantha believed the feathers to be roses, or whether she chose to paint them red instead of green? She has not corrected you on the colors you've chosen to depict Artemis or Ares—"

--- "That's because she couldn't, Father; she doesn't know the Greek Gods as I do! I just wanted to make sure that if she was giving Cousin Alexis a picture she had done that it was done appropriately and perfectly… just like her."

The man nodded as he leaned back into his chair. His son was jealous.

--- "You know son, your Cousin Alexis loves you."

The boy bowed his head.

--- "I know, Father. She told me that she did."

Stefan nodded in agreement. He tapped the boy's chin.

--- "Nikolas, look at me."

He lifted his son's head; there were tears welling in his eyes. Stefan took him by the hand and led him to the couch. He put his arm around the boy and held him close.

--- "What's troubling you, agoraki mou? Why are you so upset?"

Nikolas could not believe that he had been unable to keep his tears under control. Unfortunately, once they escaped from his tear ducts, there was no controlling them; they quickly rolled down his chubby cheeks.

--- "Nothing Father. I simply do not like it when the Gods are misrepresented."

The older man shook his head. Although they spoke in Greek, he switched to Russian; he did not want to risk the bright little girl listening to their conversation and misunderstand anything that might be said as she was quickly becoming fluent in the language. He would speak to her shortly.

--- "No, that isn't it. There is something more that is troubling you. Are you jealous of Samantha and her relationship with Cousin Alexis?"

Nikolas looked away from his father. For the first time, Stefan saw the five year old child in the boy emerge. He sighed.

--- "You know, son, Alexis has more than enough love to give to both you and Samantha—"

--- "But Samantha needs her more than I, Father! And she needs you! And Cousin Alexis needs you as well!"

Stefan finally understood.

--- "Are you feeling left out, Nikolas? Do you think that because Samantha is with us that you are not as loved by Cousin Alexis and me?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders.

--- "It's just that… it's… I don't know Father. I love Samantha, but I miss spending the afternoon with Cousin Alexis just by myself, or with you at the museum where we can make up stories about the paintings and the sculptures. I miss Cousin Alexis when we're away, but I miss her now that we're here too. I don't want Samantha to go away again and then be hurt, Father; I want her to stay with us forever—"

He sighed.

--- "I suppose I should learn to share."

Stefan kissed the top of the boy's head.

--- "That's my boy. Even though Samantha is going through a rough time right now, your feelings are still very important to me. I don't ever want you to feel as though because she needs me, that you cannot as well. You must never forget how much you are loved by me and also by Cousin Alexis. I am so very sorry for making you feel as though you mattered less than you do. I guess I have been spending much time with Alexis and Sam right?"

Nikolas nodded his head.

--- "I know how much they need you. I don't know, I just missed you when you went away, Father. And now you're back, but it isn't that same."

--- "That was my first trip without you, wasn't it?"

He nodded his head once again. Stefan knew he would and could never have taken his son to the Cassadine home. Therefore, he had to leave him behind.

--- "I'm so very sorry, my son. Well, seeing as Samantha and Alexis will be staying with us, it looks to me as though you and I will be roommates. I suppose that means we should watch _manly _movies and eat some of those chips I brought with me from Greece you love so much?"

Nikolas smiled widely before wrapping his arms around his father.

--- "That sounds wonderful, Father! May I apologize to Samantha now?"

Stefan kissed his son's forehead.

--- "Yes you may."

The boy hopped off of the couch. He ran to the table and grabbed the picture Sam had made for Alexis before making his way into his Father's room where the girl had escaped.

--- "Samantha?"

Sam turned her head away from the boy.

--- "Go away Nikolas."

He ignored her request and climbed onto the bed. He laid his hand onto her shoulder.

--- "Samantha, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I think this is a lovely picture and I'd like to help you sign it for Cousin Alexis in Greek, if you like."

Speaking the language was one thing, writing was another; Sam might have attained high-level fluency in verbal communication, but she had found it difficult to write the language. She found the different characters confusing to master.

She turned to face him.

--- "You will?"

Nikolas held out the picture and a pencil to her.

--- "I think Cousin Alexis would love it."

She sat up and smiled at him.

--- "Thank you, Nikolas. I forgive you… but I still think those are flowers."

The little boy groaned at his cousin's doubt of his knowledge of the Greek Gods he adored. He decided not to bother arguing with the girl; he could always return the favor when she forced him to endure one of her fairy tale activities.

--- "Whatever you like, Samantha."

Stefan stood in the doorway smiling at the interaction between the children. His phone began to buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out; it was Mikkos. For the fourth time that day, he sent the man to voicemail; he would respond after speaking with Alexis.

He continued to watch the children as Nikolas helped the little girl, who looked so much like her mother, write a lovely note to the woman. He thought about the file and knew that in no way could it be fully accurate; Samantha was in every way his cousin's child.

* * *

She walked into the room in complete shock to see her waiting for her. She narrowed her eyes at the woman.

--- "Hmm… look at what the cat dragged in. I'm shocked to see you."

Helena rolled her eyes.

--- "You called me, did you not?"

Evelyn shook her head.

--- "I called you WEEKS ago! You left me sitting in there for WEEKS, Helena!"

The older woman scoffed in disgust at Evelyn's lack of gratitude. She very well could have allowed her to remain in the prison cell. But for the smallest sense of obligation she paid the woman's bail, she would have let her rot there until the backlog of pending trials in that God-awful state was resolved and her case was finally tried.

--- "One would think you'd be a bit more grateful seeing as I'm getting you out of this filth, but I suppose it isn't much different than the place you call home."

Evelyn eyed the woman what truly brought about the change of heart. Whatever it was, it could not have been good.

* * *

**Please stay tuned for Part Two (Contingent on this site upon reviews). In the meantime, please review! I'm SURE you've questions! LOL.**


	17. Their Mother's Pain

It's 6a. I'm exhausted.

Many thanks for the reviews! Please keep them coming as they keep Annie inspired and fed. A fat muse creates a happy reader.

Happy Reading.

Partially Edited.

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Their Mother's Pain**

Mikkos threw his phone against the wall. He had attempted to call Stefan numerous times that day and yet the man continued to send him to voicemail. One would have thought a person of Stefan's intelligence would, after receiving so many calls from one person in one day, consider the possibility that there was an emergency of sorts. Considering the face that he hardly ever called the man, Stefan should have realized that the call might be important! Mikkos could not believe the man's insolence.

He grabbed the filed from his desk and placed them in his briefcase. He picked up his office line.

- "Michael, send the car around and please call the airport; have the jet prepared for my arrival."

If Stefan would not answer his calls, he would simply go to them. He had not a clue what was going on in his wife's mind; but since Stavros' death, she was proving quite unstable. There was no telling what she might do; she was too unpredictable.

* * *

She stood at the suite door holding two duffle bags filled with as much clothing as they would allow; she refused to spend another night in that apartment. She could no longer take the torture involved with the place: the nightmares, the haunting, the bedwetting, etc. Sam, when she slept, clung to her for dear life wetting the bed when her fear intensified to high and uncontrollable levels. If she wanted her daughter to be mentally and emotionally healthy, their environment would need to change sooner rather than later.

And then, of course, there was him. He was a constant threat to her own well-being and ability to care for her daughter. That afternoon, he waited for her when she walked out of the bathroom, making comments about her need to reconsider keeping a child who conjured him in the first place.

"_If it weren't for that nosey child pointing out your body's imperfections—"_

He had the nerve to use _that_ word, imperfections, rather than admitting to the scars he intentionally placed on her body so that she would never forget what he had done to her.

"—_I wouldn't be standing here in this lovely bedroom that Stefan certainly purchased for you, driving you mad. Goodness Alexis, the world's water supply must be depleted from your incessant need to scourge your body."_

The words continued to play in her mind like a broken DVD. She could not make them stop.

"_You know sweetheart, everything and anything that reminds you of me will make you uncomfortable. It's only a matter of time before you realize that the main source of that discomfort is that child. You can't sleep at night because she clings to you and you imagine that it is me, holding you to me, pressing myself onto you. You don't want her touching you, holding onto you as though you were some puppy dog. She is me, Alexis; there is no getting around that. And when the time comes when you realize this, don't forget to remember that it was I who told you this._

And so she stood at Stefan's suite door an hour earlier than expected, holding the suite key, but unable to slip it into the card slot. She could not bear the thought that Stavros might have gotten into her head and the mere sight of her sweet little girl would elicit the same disgust she felt towards him, that her sweet hugs were in some way similar to his perverse touch, and that the hate she felt toward him could trickle down to Sam. She could not do that to her… but what could she do? How would she stop his hate-filled words from one day replacing what she knew to be right: her daughter was none of the things he described? How could she face the child when all of these things swarmed through her head?

She did not know much, but what she did know was that she could not _not _go inside. Regardless of what Stavros had said, she would never leave Sam, not again. At the same time, however, there she stood outside of the door afraid to enter.

- "Ma'am, are you alright?"

She did not even hear the woman approach her. She jumped at her hand's gentle touch of her elbow; the woman immediately put up her hands.

- "I'm sorry I scared you! I was waiting for the elevator and just noticed that you've been standing there for some time. Are you alright?"

Alexis gave her a weak smile as she adjusted the bags onto her shoulders.

- "No, I'm fine… just lost in thought, I guess."

The woman stared at Alexis for a moment before reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a packet of tissues and held it out to her.

- "You may want to dry your pretty eyes and face before going in there, honey."

Alexis felt her cheek; it was wet. She had not realized that she had once again begun to cry. Then again, this was a daily occurrence. It had become so normal that it was easy to overlook a rolling tear down a sunken cheek.

- "Oh—"

The woman pointed to the bear Alexis held in her arms.

- "I'm sure the owner of that bear would hate to see you so upset. Are you sure you're fine?"

Alexis looked down at Sam's bear; she had almost left him behind. When she had decided that enough was enough, that she needed to leave the apartment, she removed Danny from the bag and replaced him with her daughter's and her clothing; unfortunately, she had neglected to put him back inside. It was not until she was halfway to the hotel that she realized her error. She had fought with herself as to whether or not she should return for him, but knew she had to; that bear meant too much to Samantha. She would have been damned if she failed her little girl yet again. So she returned for the bear, only to find him in Stavros' arms.

His voice resonated in her ears again as she attempted to remain calm in front of the kind woman.

"_Mommy, you almost forgot Danny!"_

She recalled the smirk he had on his face as he held the bear out to her, almost daring her to leave it with him rather than ripping it from his decayed and maggot-filled grasp.

_We wouldn't want our baby girl having a tantrum or anything. Certainly then she'd be exactly like dear old daddy in your eyes. Isn't that right?"_

She heard herself telling him that it was not true, but she also could not leave the bear to prove him wrong. She had promised Sam; and keeping that promise was more important to her than allowing a dead man to win. So she grabbed the bear from him and ran out of the apartment clutching him as though her life had depended on it.

She smiled down at the bear before looking at the woman.

- "She's my daughter's favorite toy. He's basically her best friend, aside from me… that's what she tells me; it's not my crazy imagination talking. Um… I'm really not so vain as to put myself onto my six year old's pedestal—"

Realizing that she had begun to ramble, she began to laugh nervously. The woman, still holding the packet of tissues in her hand, smiled at the younger woman.

- "Well, you better get inside so your daughter can have her two very best friends by her side. I'm sure she misses you and—"

She pointed to the bear. Alexis gave it a squeeze.

- "Danny. She named him Danny… after her brother—"

She noticed Alexis' young age; she frowned slightly before realizing that the young woman noticed the look. She had not meant to be rude, but it perplexed her how a woman so young, who clearly had money as she was staying at an expensive hotel in one of the largest suites, could have another child. Surely she could not have been more than twent-three.

- "I'm—"

Alexis interrupted the woman before she apologized.

- "He's not my kid; I just have the one—"

- "And she must mean everything to you. I had a son myself, but unfortunately he died a few years ago… motorcycle accident—"

Alexis' heart sank; she could not imagine losing Sam. Actually, she could; and that's what hurt her the most. She did not want imagine this woman's pain.

- "I'm so sorry."

The woman shook her head.

- "Don't be. I had twenty-five good years watching him grow up from a boy to a man; some people don't get that. Some don't get a single minute to see their children become the people they had envisioned from the moment they were conceived. I had twenty-five years; I can't complain about that."

And it clicked in her head. She had spent six years separated from her daughter, unsure of where she was living, what she looked like, and whether she was happy or sad. She had been for too long a woman… a girl, who did not know her child… did not have a chance to know her. None of this applied any longer as Sam was, regardless of Stavros' comments, her baby; she loved her daughter more than her own life. Why was she doubting this when she knew that she loved her from the moment she felt her first kick? Why was she standing outside of the suite afraid to face a little girl who wanted to do nothing but love her and be loved? She was her daughter's best friend; it was time for her to act like it.

Alexis smiled at the woman.

- "That is probably the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. And you know what? I thank you for telling me that. Um… I'm going to go inside now and hug my baby girl. I think she could use one from her mommy as much as I could certainly use one from her. Thank you—"

The woman smiled at Alexis' newfound enthusiasm.

- "Maggie."

Alexis held out her free hand to her new acquaintance.

- "Alexis."

Maggie gave her hand a squeeze.

- "It was wonderful meeting you, Alexis. I hope whatever was troubling you gets resolved quickly."

Considering the weight that had been on her shoulders, her short conversation with this lovely woman lifted a portion of it; she was grateful.

- "Believe me Maggie, I think it will."

She put the key into the slot and opened the door.

- "Bye."

Alexis quietly stepped into the suite careful not to make a sound; she wanted to surprise the girl with her arrival. She placed the bag onto the couch and noticed Stefan standing with his arms crossed watching her every move. He held his finger to his lips before quietly approaching her.

- "I wasn't expecting you for another hour, Cousin."

She attempted to appear nonchalant, but she knew he read her like a book. There was no point in lying to him.

- "I couldn't stay there much longer. It was getting… _too_ much. Um… I hope you don't mind us staying here a while longer than you had planned; I think Sam and I need a change of scenery. I mean, I don't want us to impose or anything. She and I can take the couch; you saw how comfortable she slept last night. And before you say _anything_, I'll be fine… just as long as I'm not… _there_."

He noticed her reddened nose and slightly puffy eyes; she had been crying again. It hurt him to see her so heavy-hearted; he would have given anything to stop her from feeling pain again, especially pain caused by one who should have been long dead.

He pulled her to him.

- "Darling, you are always welcome here. You are welcome anywhere I am. And no, you are not sleeping on the couch. You will stay in my room, while I bunk with Nikolas indefinitely. It's quite alright, Alexis; if you need anything from the apartment, I will retrieve it myself. You don't have to step one foot there if you do not want."

She hugged him tightly, leaning her head onto his chest; she did not know how she would have ever survived life in the Cassadine household without him shielding her from harm. He was her best friend.

- "Thank you, Stefan."

Like he had done so many times when she was a child and upset from another round with Stavros or Helena, he gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

- "No thank you's necessary, darling; you are my family and I would do anything for you. Now, why don't you go wash your face before surprising Samantha with your arrival? I'm actually pleased you've come early as we can go for an early dinner; I have a date of sorts afterwards with my son."

She smiled at the man.

- "You're a wonderful father, you know that?"

He brushed her hair behind her ear. He stared at her as he thought about the file and how different her life would have been had his father not taken her in. Considering everything that had occurred in her life since that time, he was certain that it would have been for the better… but that would mean that he would not have had her; she would not have been in his life. Where would that have left him?

- "And you, ma soeur, are the epitome of mothers. I certainly would not have been the father that I am today without your help. I'm not sure that I've ever thanked you for that—"

She shook her head at him.

- "Well, if that's the case, I should be thanking you for giving me that little man of yours to practice being a mommy on; I love that son of yours more than you could ever know."

Stefan smirked.

- "I think I have a pretty good idea."

_**Flashback**_

_She held the baby for a mere five minutes before losing consciousness; but-for his presence beside her, the newborn infant would have fallen to the floor. Without a moment to think about what had occurred, the nurse removed the baby from his arms and shooed him from the room._

_- "I apologize, Mr. Cassadine, but we need room to work on your—"_

_- "Wife, my wife."_

_He said it without thinking; she was not his wife. He lied. She should have been his wife, but fate had clearly dealt them different cards. _

_- "Fine. Mr. Cassadine, we will come to get you when—"_

_She stopped speaking; she would come to get him when they had declared the woman dead. She had noticed the monitors and the lack of eye movement when the light had been shone into her eyes. The young mother was gone, but the nurse did not have the heart to tell him so._

_- "We'll come to get you when we have more news."_

_His heart beat harder in his chest than ever before. He could not lose her, not when they had finally found a way to be together. Alas, he could not think only of her; he had to think about the little boy that had just come into the world._

_- "What about… what about the baby? What about my… my son?"_

_She smiled sympathetically at him. She pointed down the hall._

_- "If you go straight and make a left at the end of the hallway, you'll hit the nursery. You'll be able to see him there."_

_He nodded his head before taking the long walk in the direction the woman had indicated to him. As he walked, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He was not in the mood to speak to anyone, but he could not bring himself to send the person to voicemail. So, he picked it up without checking the display._

_- "Hello?"_

_She smiled at the sound of his voice._

_- "Hi Cousin! Guess who's back."_

_He let out a breath. If there was anyone she had wanted to speak to, it was Alexis. He leaned against the wall as he stood outside of the nursery waiting for a nurse to bring in the baby._

_- "I was not expecting you back, cherie, for another day."_

_She frowned as she looked into the phone. She could sense the distress in his voice._

_- "What's wrong?"_

_- "I think she's dying…"_

_Alexis's heart broke for him. He had always been there for her; she needed to find her way to him._

_- "I'm coming."_

_He nodded as he disconnected the phone without saying goodbye; the nurse had just brought him in. He walked up to the window and smiled at the child he could already see would look exactly like his mother._

_- "My God, he's beautiful."_

_He stood at the window staring at the baby boy barely allowing it to register that the nurse and the doctor had approached him to tell him that his newborn son was motherless. He stood there just watching the infant, with his dark silky black hair, his olive skin, and the tiniest mole on his chubby cheek._

_- "Stefan—"_

_Alexis had asked the driver to bring her to him. Because the servants of the house loved both he and her, there was no question as to whether they would help the girl go to the man at his time of need. She leaned against him as she watched the baby boy, but thought only of her baby girl. She put her arm around the man she considered to be an older brother._

_- "I'm so sorry, cousin."_

_He sighed deeply. This should not have shocked him; considering the way he had been raised, he should have become accustomed to life throwing him scraps. But it did shock him. It shocked him deep in his core and the only thing that brought him back to reality was the child on the other side of the window._

_- "He's mine, and that's all that can matter right now."_

_She nodded her head. _

_- "And what are you going to name your son?"_

_A tear ran down his cheek._

_- "She wanted him to be called Nikolas Dmitri Cassadine."_

_- "So, that's what he'll be called."_

_Without responding, he continued to stare at the child. He wrapped his arm around his young cousin. _

_They stood that way for a long time before he spoke again._

_- "We have to leave their home. I will not raise him there; not with her."_

_While she did not want to seem selfish considering the somberness of the time, she could not help but feel a heartbreak. He sensed that._

_- "I'm not leaving you Alexis. I plan on taking you with me. I will not risk her harming you."_

_She smiled at the man. It seemed that from that day onward, they would feast from the table, rather than from the droppings off the floor. Life had begun to turn around for them._

_- "Thank you."_

_He gave her a kiss on the top of the head knowing that she was not simply thanking him for rescuing her from that household; he was giving her much more than she even realized in her gratitude. _

_**End of Flashback**_

He pushed her toward the boy's bedroom.

- "Now, go on and wash your face."

As she made to move, he grabbed her by the arm.

- "I'm glad you're here."

She nodded; she could sense that he was keeping something big from her. She refused to worry about it however, as there were no secrets between them. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

- "Thank you, but you don't know how much the inverse of that is true to me. I'll be back; don't tell her I'm here."

- "I won't! I'll go speak with them right now; I must see into what mischief your little one is dragging my son."

She rolled her eyes at the man as she walked toward Nikolas' bedroom. Under normal circumstances she would have laughed at his joke, but none of this was normal; she found her mind turning back onto Stavros' comments about the girl. Her daughter was not mischievous.

* * *

Because they had no other place to go, and Evelyn had long been evicted from the home in which she, her husband, son, and Sam had lived, Helena reluctantly checked into the hotel she had booked prior to leaving Greece with the recently liberated woman. She sat in the darkness of the room thinking about her son while Evelyn showered; he was all she thought about since she discovered what that woman and her good-for-nothing husband had foolishly done. She did not care that that child carried his blood through her veins; another's blood ran through her that far outweighed any desire she had to establish a connection with _it_. That child, _Samantha, _was no more Stavros' than Stefan was hers; she was simply inconsequential to her life and her son's memory.

She was not sure what she would do to the girl once she saw her, but she knew that she would not infiltrate the Cassadine fold as her mother had. She would not have her son's name associated with a bastard child bred from an incestuous act… no, it was a mistake in judgment on her son's part. He was not as people would think him to be if that child were revealed to be his child. He was not a rapist. She had not raised him to be that way. She would sooner die than to allow his name associated with that meant for the most disgusting human beings of the world. No. Her Stavros was not a vile and perverse derelict who deserved to be expelled from society; she could never love him the way she had… the way she did, if that were true. No. Her son was a gentle soul who perhaps, as a flaw in character, loved too hard.

She sat in the darkness rubbing the faded scar on her wrist; for some reason, it had begun to bother her. She imagined her little boy sitting on her lap as she waited for the woman to finish showering so that she could call housekeeping to clean the bathroom from top to bottom.

_- "Have you missed me, Mama?"_

She ran her hands through his hair that had grown too long for Mikkos' taste, but was just fine as a very articulate two year old Stavros liked it.

- "I have missed you more than you know. You have been separated from Mama for far too long."

She felt him shift on her lap as he did whenever he was prepared to take a nap in her arms.

_- "I've missed you too. I don't like being away from you."_

She felt as though she had been stabbed in the heart. She did not like that he had been taken from her either. Twenty-eight years were not enough for her to tell him how much he meant to her. She needed more time with her beautiful baby boy.

- "Are you… are you happy where you are?"

She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she felt his breath become soft and steady; he had fallen asleep. She caressed his soft cheek and passed her finger over his beautiful long eyelashes. She wished he would open his eyes so that she could look into them once again; she wanted to see those beautiful deep brown pupils embedded in teardrop shaped eyes. She needed to see them.

- "Stavros—"

She shook him, but to no avail.

- "Stavros, my love, wake up for Mama."

She attempted once again, but stopped upon the feeling of something wet on her hands.

- "Have you wet yourself, my big boy? You must learn to hold your urine now that you are in big boy pants."

But when she looked down at her hands, they were of the deepest red. Her two year old was bloodied and beaten. She wanted to scream for help, but her mind knew the trick it played; it did not allow a sound to escape from her lips. Instead, she cried as she hummed a lullaby and cradled the dead toddler in her arms until he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared to her.

Helena, not needing the woman to know what she had just experienced, quickly dried her eyes and reapplied her make-up. She retook her spot on the chair, hoping that her son would not once again appear to her; she could not take it. The pain she felt within her as she waited for Evelyn to exit the bathroom, was as excruciating as though he had died in her arms rather than alone in a dark alley.

_**Flashback**_

_She sat in the library at seven-thirty reading a Dostoyevsky novel, 'Demons.' She had been awaiting Stavros' arrival for fifteen minutes. Normally she would not have worried as the boy had never been known for his promptness and she had always informed him to arrive fifteen minutes earlier than she truly expected knowing that he would undoubtedly be late, but this night was different; she felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness within her. She had been feeling such a way since the prior evening, but she shook it off unsure of what it could be._

_- "Layna—"_

_She turned around slowly at the sound of her husband's voice. It was not the fact that he had not called her such a nickname in twenty-five years that sent chills down her spine; it was the way in which he said it that terrified her. Her mind immediately went to her son._

_- "Mikkos, have you heard from Stavros?"_

_The look on his face did nothing to quell the despair that began to replace the emptiness. In a sense, she knew her son was no longer, but she could not accept it, not without proof._

_- "Where is my son, Mikkos?"_

_He shook his head somberly._

_- "Layna—"_

_She stormed toward him._

_- "Don't you DARE call me that! Not until you tell me where my son is!"_

_He took her hand into his own giving it a gentle kiss. He knew this would not be an easy admission, but she needed to hear it._

_- "He's gone, Layna."_

_Yanking her hand from his hold, she smacked him hard across the face. She would not allow the man to lie to her about her son. She had already lost one child before even meeting her; God could not have been so cruel as to also take the love of her life away from her._

_- "Mikkos Cassadine, WHY would you tell me such a thing? Why would you wish death on our son? Do you hate him THAT much?"_

_He saw her begin to unravel in front of her. He pulled her to him._

_- "I don't hate our son, Layna—"_

_She pushed him away from her. _

_- "I've already told you to refrain from calling me that. You clearly are doing so only because you want me to think the worse about my son. WHERE is he, Mikkos?"_

_He wanted to hold her against him as he was certain this would be the last time she allowed him the right, but she so the fury in her eyes. She was relentless when it came to Stavros and what she felt he needed. There was nothing else he could do but allow her to see him. She would not believe him until she had proof. He averted his eyes as he spoke._

_- "He's in my office."_

_No sooner had he spoken the words had she turned to leave. He grabbed her arm, causing her to wince to his touch. He looked down and realized what he had done; he slid his hand down from her wrists to once again hold her hand._

_- "Just brace yourself… when you go in there."_

_She glared at him._

_- "He is my son, Mikkos; there is nothing for which I need to brace myself. Kindly release me so that I may see him myself."_

_He did as he was told and watched her run from the room. He did not bother to follow her; he was certain she would want to be alone with the young man. Instead, he walked over to the bar and poured himself a scotch. As he put the cup to his lips, he heard a blood-curdling scream that shook the house to its core. He drank the strong liquor in one large gulp before making his way to his office. _

_**End of Flashback**_

The pain attempted to beat her down each day, but she won each time. She would be damned if she allowed the grief to consume her before she was ready to leave the earth. She had far too much she needed to do.

* * *

Stefan walked into the room where the children remained unaware of Alexis' presence in the suite.

- "And up to what trouble are you two?"

Both children laughed at the man's accusation. Nikolas stood up and held his hand out to help Sam to her feet. The girl ignored it and stood on her own prompting him to put his hand into his pocket.

- "I was trying to help you Samantha."

She frowned.

- "With what? My leg isn't broken anymore. I can stand up by myself."

Stefan laughed aloud as he sat at the desk chair. Samantha was proving as stubborn, proud, and independent as her mother… just like her; she was her mother's child.

- "And that certainly makes us all happy Samantha! Those casts were not very accommodating were they? You seemed quite uncomfortable with them."

The girl nodded.

- "I didn't like them because then I couldn't take a real bath with Duckbert. And plus they got itchy a lot! Mommy kept sticking a ruler inside them to itch my arms and legs for me… I miss her."

Nikolas, seeing the sudden sadness in his cousin's eyes, picked up from the floor the picture they had been working on; he showed their finished product to his father.

- "Look Father, I've helped Samantha with her letters so that she could write a note for Cousin Alexis. She's done a good job."

Sam, wiping a lone tear from her cheek from missing the woman who provided her with a sense of comfort, ran over to her cousins.

- "And Nikolas said he's going to practice with me until I learn all the letters that aren't like normal ones—"

The boy groaned at her comment.

- "Greek letters _are _normal, Samantha—"

- "No they're not! They're weird and don't make sense because they make the same sounds like real letters, but it's okay because I like them anyway."

He narrowed is eyes at the girl.

- "Just because they're different, that doesn't make them weird."

She wanted to stick her tongue out at the boy, but she knew it would only disappoint her mother. Instead she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes; this was a habit she picked up from the woman herself.

- "I said I liked them anyway, Nikolas."

Unbeknownst to either child, Alexis had returned from the bathroom and stood silently outside of the bedroom listening to their daily bickering. She loved how they fed off of each other, bringing out a personality in Nikolas that was hidden under his cloak of formality, and one that she had never thought she would ever see in Sam who continued to struggle with her self-esteem. She adored the children.

Nikolas shook his head as he leaned beside his father's chair.

- "Good."

She scowled at the boy before tapping Stefan's leg.

- "Cousin Stefan, do you want to read it? You can tell me if it's stupid."

He pulled the girl onto his lap; with every mannerism he noticed in the child, he saw a young Alexis. There was no longer any doubt in his mind about her.

- "Nothing you write will ever be stupid, little raven; you are far too intelligent to ever think so lowly of yourself. You are incredibly brilliant. Understand?"

And in proving her high intelligence, the exchange had been in Greek; she understood every word. Her knack for languages was proven everyday as her vocabulary increased by the tenfold.

- "Yes, Cousin."

He gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

- "Now let's see what you have here."

He read the note to himself smiling at its simple innocence. Children, despite their genetic make-up, truly were innocent; he had proof in case anyone told him different.

- "My goodness! You two must own a greeting card company! Your talents are surely being wasted!"

Both children laughed at the man's silliness.

- "Father, we're fat too young for such a thing; but if you like Samantha and I can be in charge of writing your Thank You notes and Holiday cards."

Stefan uncharacteristically ruffled the boy's hair as Alexis often did. It seemed that she was having as much of an effect on him as Samantha was having on his son. It was all a welcomed change.

- "That sounds like a wonderful idea, my son."

Sam enjoyed spending time with the _boys; _she had never been happier in her life than when Evelyn dropped her off at her mother's doorstep. She finally was feeling as though everything would be fine. Her fears of being taken away from not only her mother, but Stefan and even Nikolas, were slowly, but surely subsiding. She felt safe with them… with her family.

She leaned back against the man.

- "Are me and Mommy going to live here from now on?"

- "Mommy and _I_, Samantha."

The little girl glared at her younger cousin.

- "I was not speaking to you, _Nikolas.. _ Are we, Cousin _Stefan_?"

He looked to his son before responding. Considering the feelings of jealous and slight rejection the child exhibited, he would never want to aggravate it by having his beloved cousins move into the suite; if necessary, he would certainly attain another. The boy however smiled; he wanted his Cousin Alexis and Samantha close.

Seeing this, Stefan turned back to the girl.

- "I don't know Samantha; that is something for your mother to decide. Would you like to live here?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

- "I want to live wherever my mommy lives."

Alexis could no longer stay away from her daughter; she too wanted to live anywhere she did. If such a bargain included Stavros' aggravating presence, she would put up with it just so she could have the child near.

She knocked on the doorframe.

- "Hello? Am I welcomed here?"

Nikolas had made to move towards the woman, but he stepped aside as Sam hopped off of Stefan's lap and ran to her mother.

- "Mommy!"

She lifted the girl into the air before giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Sam laughed as she returned the favor. She wrapped her arms around the woman's neck as she rested her head onto her shoulder.

- "I missed you. Don't leave me again, okay?"

Alexis whispered into her ear.

- "I'll be where you are as long as you want me there, chipmunk."

Sam lifted her head. She stared into her mother's eyes for a moment seeking a final reassurance as to the veracity of the statement.

- "Forever."

Alexis tapped the child's button nose.

- "Well then, you got it."

Sam gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before resting her head back onto her shoulder.

- "Good."

Alexis then looked over at Nikolas who stood silently beside his father watching the scene.

- "How's my handsome boy?"

He shrugged bashfully.

- "I'm well, thank you. We missed you, Cousin."

She put a reluctant Sam down so that she could also embrace the boy.

- "And I missed you too Nikky."

He held her tightly wishing that he too had a mother. In fact, sometimes he wished she were his. But then he thought about Samantha; surely she wished she had a father such as his. He figured they could share.

- "I'm happy to hear you've had a good nap, Cousin."

She squeezed his chubby cheek before giving him a kiss.

- "An eight-hour one! But you know what? I could not wait to wake up so I could be with my favorite family."

He blushed at her affection. Despite his love for her, he still found girls to be quite disgusting.

- "Well, you are welcome because we missed you. –Samantha, show Cousin Alexis what you've made for her!"

Sam, who had held tightly to her mother's pants not wanting to be separated from her again, completely forgot about the picture.

- "Oh yea!"

She released the woman just so she could take it from the desk. Stefan passed his hand over her braids as she passed him. She giddily showed her mother her work.

- "I colored this for you, Mommy!"

Alexis knelt to the child's level. She caressed the her chubby cheek.

- "What an incredible coloring of the goddess Hera chipmunk! I love it! Thank you!"

Stefan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Seeing as the people who meant the world to him were all in the room with him, he could not be bothered with the caller. He allowed it to ring out before shutting it off entirely knowing it was once again his father calling. He refused to entertain the man until he and Alexis discussed the content of the file in its entirety. He was certain she would have questions for the man.

- "Why don't you read the note for Alexis, darling."

Sam nodded.

- "Nikolas helped me write this Mommy, but it's all my words. I just told him what I wanted it to say."

She read the note to her mother in fluent Greek.

_To Mommy,_

_I love you more than all my toys. Even if I didn't have them I would be happy because I have you. Thank you for being my Mommy. _

_Love, _

_Your Chipmunk, Sam_

Alexis, smiling at her daughter, pulled Nikolas to her as well. She spoke in Greek.

- "You two munchkins mean the world to me. I wouldn't give you two up for anything. Sam, you are my baby girl, my chipmunk, and Nik, you are my little man. Thanks baby for saying something so sweet, and thanks bud for helping her write it. I love it as much as I love you."

He once again blushed as he stepped back towards his father.

- "It was my pleasure, Cousin."

Stefan looked at his watch; it was nearly a quarter to seven. He clapped his hands at the group.

- "Well, I think it's time for us to get ready for dinner. Seeing as Samantha chose breakfast and we ordered in for lunch, I suppose it only fair to allow Nikolas to choose where we dine tonight."

Sam, who remained in her mother's embrace, turned to look at her younger cousin.

- "Make sure you don't pick someplace nasty, Nikolas, otherwise next time I'll choose the diner _again!_"

Nikolas cut his eyes at the girl before leaning into his father; he found the diner to not only smell thick of grease from the overly fried food, but said food was also made of the most disgusting products he had ever tasted in all of his five years of life. He was not certain he would ever get used to the food in the States."

- "Father, I'd like to try a Greek restaurant tonight please. We've been here for weeks, but we have not yet tried one."

Alexis was not sure the choice was wisely made as Connecticut, and certainly not New Haven, was not known for it's foreign cuisine. She knew this could not end well for her high quality loving cousins.

- "Um, okay… sure. So, I suppose we should get going?"

Stefan chuckled as he took his son by the hand and walked past the two ladies.

- "Alexis, certainly you do not think I am going out with you in your loungewear. We leave in fifteen minutes."

She and Sam looked at what she had thrown on prior to rushing from the apartment. Sam shook her head.

- "I don't think Cousin Stefan likes sweatpants Mommy."

Alexis stuck her finger into the tear in her daughter's stocking.

- "Well chipmunk, I know for a fact that Nikolas will not like his favorite cousin wearing torn stockings."

Sam's eyes threatened to well with tears at her ability to rip yet _another _pair of stockings. It seemed her mother was consistently buying her new pairs because she always ruined the ones she wore. However, when she noticed the smile on her mother's face, the tears quickly left her. She put her little hands on either side Alexis' face.

- "I think we have to change."

She connected her forehead to Sam's. She looked into the child's deep brown tear shaped eyes that were so much like his, but yet so different. Hers were soft and filled with an innocence Alexis had never seen within him in the years she had been unfortunate enough to know him. She wondered if there ever was a time when he had possessed a child's innocence that could have made him loveable to someone other than his indulging mother. As she stared into her daughter's eyes, knowing that she would do anything to protect her, she could not honestly doubt its once existence within him.

- "I think you're right."

She gave her daughter a kiss on the nose before running out to grab the duffle bags she left on the couch. She had yet to see him since she left the apartment; she hoped he stayed away. She wanted to, for the first time in weeks, enjoy dinner with her family.

* * *

Evelyn walked out of the shower dressed in a bathrobe with her hair dripping onto her shoulders. She had spent several weeks in prison where showers were not known for their cleanliness; she needed a good wash. She was grateful that someone as cold and heartless as Helena had managed to provide it for her. She took a seat in the chair opposite the woman.

- "Thank you."

Helena looked at her in disgust.

- "You could not bother to put something on rather than come out here undressed?"

Evelyn stared at her as though she had forgotten from where she had just retrieved her.

- "And what exactly would you have me put on, Helena? The filthy clothes I walked in with? I'd rather spare myself the aggravation of hearing your mouth about how disgusting I am."

Helena stared at the woman for a few moments before speaking. She stared at her pocked skin, stringy hair, and deplorable teeth; she truly was a pitiful sight. She shook her head as she looked Evelyn from top to bottom.

- "You should be ashamed of what you've become—"

The woman stopped her before continuing her predictable criticisms.

- "Really? Tell me, Helena, what exactly was I supposed to have become with a father who completely abandoned me—"

Helena's stare immediately turned cold.

- "Don't you dare say such a thing! Father did NOT abandon you!"

The younger woman scoffed at her sister.

- "The HELL he didn't! He left me living in squalor—"

- "Because you married that pitiful man. He warned you he would not bail you out of the foreseeable destitution you would find yourself, and yet you decided to go against him. Cody is a drunk, he is a gambler, and he is a loser; it seems from where I'm standing that you've turned out exactly as you should have."

Evelyn jumped from her seat as though the insult had bitten her in the chair. She stared at her sister who was born into wealth with the finest silver spoon in her mouth, educated at the top schools, and married to a man from an equally wealthy man; who was she to judge her. Helena knew nothing about struggling to pay the bills or feed a couple of mouths she could not care less about; she had servants and nannies. The woman was medically trained, but she did not have to work. Helena did not have to move from the chair in which she sat and judged her, and she would still be far more financially secure than she. What did she know about her and her life?

Evelyn was the product of purchase. Her mother made her living dancing at a high-priced Gentlemen's Club and happened to meet Cristof Komensky, a wealthy married businessman from Prague. While the club in no way encouraged the dancers to have any relations with their members, it was common knowledge that certain elite members chose certain dancers for private performances; Evelyn's mother, Bea, happened to be one of the chosen few for such acts.

The _relationship _between Bea and Cristof continued for well over a year before Evelyn had been conceived. He, regardless of the location of his business travel in the states, would travel to the club in New York to see his girl dance for him. In some ways, over that time, he found himself quite smitten with the far younger woman. As far as he was concerned, considering the money he paid towards his membership and his frequent trips to the club, she was his and his alone. He would never be certain, up to the moment of his death, whether that were in fact true.

Nevertheless, when the woman informed him that she was pregnant, he accepted that, considering the timing, the child was his. In fact, aside from abandoning the woman and impending child, there was not much he could have done, as paternity testing had not yet been developed. So, being a man of high morals, he vowed to provide for it upon its birth. However, given that it was what it was, created in nothing but a business transaction, he knew he would never give the baby all that he had provided Helena, his first and only born child.

And so came Evelyn, the bastard child of the great Cristof Komensky and a whore, or at least that was how she had heard her mother described her entire life; what else would one call a person who sold their body for money? There was no disputing the fact especially when she barely remembered her; her mother died from a drug overdose when she was two years old. As a result, the child, born to a man of great wealth, was sent to a number of unwelcoming homes, to where her father sent a monthly check of $100.

Finally, after her seventeenth move to yet another pilfering family member who expected a windfall from taking in the girl, she met Cody, a twenty-five year old man of few prospects, on her eighteenth birthday. When he promised to provide her with the things that she had longed for her entire life, she quickly informed her father, on one of his bi-annual visits, that she had intended on marrying this man. She informed the man of her fiancé's promises of stability, love, and wealth and asked for her father's blessing. The great Cristof Komensky, having met the man Cody, promptly denied his bastard daughter's request. Knowing that he had no real right to control the acts of a girl he barely knew, and financed at less than a tenth of the expense he had indulged on her older sister, Helena, he knew he could instead serve the girl an ultimatum. He would not stop her from marrying the man whom he could tell would do nothing but cause the young woman heartache, but he would certainly not continue to support her. If she chose to marry the man, he would cut her off financially.

Cody, being a man who hated being denied what he wanted, easily coaxed the girl into marrying him despite her father's threats. He promised that he could easily provide her with earnings of thousands of dollars a week that would easily trump the pennies the man provided her in her life. He reminded her of how little she was thought of by her family and certainly her father, and helped her realize that he was the only one who truly cared for her.

And in some way, some of his tales were true, but in what mattered most to the girl, Cody was unable to provide her with the stability and wealth she had craved; the love they shared could never be enough to override what she could have had had she heeded her father's warnings.

And there she stood being judged by the woman who had their father wrapped around her finger simply because she was fortunate enough to have been born in wedlock.

- "You have NO right to judge me! I did what I thought was right given the circumstance that I was in because your father refused to care enough about me to do right by me!"

Helena stood from her chair and approached the woman. She pointed her finger towards her younger sister. As she protected her son's name, she did the same in regard to her father.

- "Don't you DARE say such a thing about—"

Evelyn smacked the woman's finger away from her face. Unlike most, she was not in the least bit frightened of Helena; she had nothing to lose in order for her to truly care about the devil against whom she stood.

- "About the man who paid more to f*ck my mother than to take care of the kid he created with her? THAT man? You don't want me to talk poorly about the _GREAT_ Cristoff Komensky, a man whose name doesn't mean sh*t in this country? THAT one, Helena? A man who—"

Helena smacked her hard across the face; she had listened to enough disrespect from a low-classed alcoholic about the man she had had the pleasure of calling her 'Papa.'

- "Let me explain something to you, Evelyn. As heartless as you believe my father and me to be, I assure you that I have no qualms in proving how truly heartless I can be. I am well aware of your retarded little boy that bitch and her appendage I had the displeasure of carrying for nine months, have provided for in that lovely little school out by the polluted coast of this disgusting State. I know you presume to act as though he doesn't mean a thing to you, but you and I both know how untrue that is—"

Evelyn did love her son, but her guilt could never allow her to be a mother to him; she knew the heavy drinking during her pregnancy had played a large role in his problems. And yet seeing this, she never stopped. Where Cody had failed to provide her with stability and wealth, there was always an abundance of alcohol in the home despite its lack of food. In her mind, she did what she could for the child given the environment in which he was raised.

- "You leave him alone!"

Helena, seeing the fear in Evelyn's eyes, laughed in the woman's face.

- "Ah yes. I believe that now we are on the same page; if you keep my father's good name out of your filthy mouth, that child will disappear much more quickly than the bottles of cheap vodka you pour down your throat. Understand this, my father did not have to provide for you, and he certainly did not have to provide for you when you chose to marry that street urchin. Goodness! Who knows if you are truly his daughter? You should be grateful he provided for you as he did! Now, I will admit that he was a flawed man who had no business cheating on my dear mother with the likes of your mother, but that is neither here nor there. You are a bastard who got more than you deserved when it came to my father and you spit on it—"

Evelyn had had enough. She pushed the older woman away from him hard enough to cause her to stumble backwards; but for the chair she had previously occupied, Helena would have fallen to the floor. She glared at her sister's audacity, but Evelyn cut her off before she could speak another syllable.

- "I did NOT spit on him, Helena! You and I BOTH know that he SPIT on ME and it's quite obvious that THAT is why you're here."

Helena narrowed her eyes on a woman she had not seen in nearly half a decade. She crossed her arms across her chest.

- "I suggest you first close your robe, Evelyn; I have no interest in seeing what you are selling."

* * *

Mikkos, sitting in his private jet, attempted one last time to call Stefan; the man continued to ignore his calls. He shook his head as he closed the phone. He prayed he got to them before his wife did something regrettable.

He opened his briefcase and pulled out the file of which he had given the man a copy to bring to Alexis. He flipped through it until he came upon the death certificates and newspaper clippings. He put the clippings aside to reread the first of the three in the file: Andrea Natasha Davidovitch, born May 11, 2004 deceased June 22, 2005. The cause of death was determined to be severe smoke inhalation; the infant was dead on arrival at the hospital. He leaned back into his chair cradling the glass of scotch he had poured for himself upon entering the jet; whoever that child with his niece was, he had proof that she was not who Stefan, Alexis, and Helena believed her to be.


	18. Attachments

Many thanks again to those who took the time to review. Annie certainly enjoyed the shock expressed in them all. Please keep them coming as they keep her inspired to keep me up writing until all hours of the night.

Because of this section's length, I decided to make it a filler chapter all of it's own. Chapter already underway.

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Attachments**

- "That was _not _a Greek meal. That was… I don't know what that was exactly, but it certainly was not Greek… or food, for that matter."

Being a man of great manners, Stefan paid the bill, tipped the waiter, and walked out of the restaurant with his family without a word as to what it was they had just consumed. However, upon entering the car, he had much to say concerning the atrocity done to their national food. He continued on his diatribe against the restaurant, swearing it would go out of business for such poor culinary service to his country throughout the entire drive to the hotel.

- "It was an absolute disgrace! They should be ashamed of themselves for calling that garbage Greek!"

Alexis, holding the children's hands as they walked into the suite, shook her head in amusement at her cousin's theatrics. She had known from the moment Nikolas had chosen their dinner plans that it was quite unwise. In fact, she had not tasted a properly cooked Greek meal since her last trip to the country, the Christmas prior. Nevertheless, she knew the comedy to ensue would be well worth a night of inferior dining.

- "It wasn't _that_ bad, Stefan! Don't you think you're exaggerating just a bit?"

He looked at the woman as though he had been slapped in the face.

- "Surely you jest, Alexis! I know Helena was not the most gracious of hosts, however our servants provided us with the finest of meals. That garbage we paid to shove down our throats, my dear, was criminal. If you ask Samantha, a virgin to our culture's food and considering the color she has taken, I am quite certain she would agree. I suggest you rush her to the bathroom."

Alexis looked down at her daughter who had been unusually, in view of her newly discovered verbose personality, quiet throughout the ride home; the girl did not look well.

- "Baby, does your tummy hurt?"

Stefan, having before seen the look displayed on the child's face and knowing she would never make it out of the room, quickly grabbed the nearest garbage can and placed it in front of her. Sam immediately expelled the contents of her stomach into it.

- "Do you still believe the food wasn't so bad, Alexis?"

She smacked him on the back.

- "This is no time for your 'I told you so's.'"

- "Certainly not; I believe the proof is in the… wastebasket."

Alexis rolled her eyes at the man. She sat on her heels rubbing the girl's back.

- "Are you okay, baby?"

Allowing her mother to wipe her mouth, Sam nodded.

- "I didn't like the food, Mommy."

- "I know, chipmunk; I don't think any of us did."

Seeing that there was nothing more the child could regurgitate, Stefan immediately handed her a water bottle.

- "Here you go, raven; drink some of this. I'm going to call housekeeping and room service; perhaps we can get you some dry toast and tea."

Alexis pushed the can out of her way; she never could stomach the sight of vomit.

- "Thank you Stefan. And then Sammy we'll lie down and watch a movie until bedtime, alright?"

Sam took a slip before laying her head onto her mother's shoulder as she looked at her younger cousin who grimaced at the sight of the vomit in the trashcan his father had just placed in the corner.

- "That was a bad choice, Nikolas."

The boy looked down at his shoes.

- "I'm sorry, Samantha."

Alexis lifted her daughter as she turned to the boy.

- "Oh honey, there is nothing for you to apologize. You couldn't have known that Sam would get sick from the food."

He shrugged slightly.

- "I suppose you're right, Cousin Alexis. But, I should've known we wouldn't have good food from such a place… there aren't too many places here with good food; they're all nasty."

Alexis squeezed the boy's cheek.

- "My poor Nikky, you're going to starve in the States."

She looked over to Stefan who seemed to be eying her suspiciously; she had noticed his strange stares the entire night during dinner and the return drive.

- "Stefan, is everything alright?"

He looked from Nikolas, to Alexis, then Sam, and back around again. Alexis was the sister he should have and could have had had Sofie not died; Sam was his niece… and that was the truth, or so he hoped; and Nikolas, he was his beautiful son who reminded him more and more of _her_, except for his distinct Cassadine features. This was his family for whom he would lay down his life. He would be damned if any one of them would ever be taken from him.

- "Stefan?"

He had not previously heard her call to him.

- "Yes, Alexis?"

She frowned at him. He had never been one to be so lost in thought to lose his sense of awareness; that was her habit.

- "Where did you go just now?"

- "Nowhere darling."

He walked over and took Nikolas by the hand.

- "Are you ready to watch our movie, agoraki mou?"

The little boy, having been worried he had added to his cousin's problems, had forgotten about his plans with his father. He was grateful the man remembered. Then again, his father remembered and knew everything. He smiled excitedly until he looked back over to Sam.

- "Yes Father… but, if you'd like to tend to Samantha—"

Alexis ruffled his hair as she felt Sam's grip on her tighten; since she returned to her after several hours away, Sam clung to her more so than normal. Unlike previous occasions where she allowed Stefan to hold her hand or hold her, Sam would have no one, but her. Although she worried about her daughter's setback, Alexis loved to be so needed because in some ways, she too did not want to detach herself from her little girl.

- "Don't worry about Sam, sweetheart; I'll tend to my little chipmunk for the night. You enjoy your movie with your father."

- "Are you sure?"

She tapped his nose.

- "Of course I am, honey. Sammy and I are going to watch _boring_ fairy-tale movies! Go ahead with Stefan, Nik; be men together… fart and burp—"

Stefan rolled his eyes in disgust.

- "Alexis, really?"

Sam looked at her mother.

- "That's nasty, Mommy!"

She smiled at her daughter.

- "You hush."

The man nodded approvingly.

- "At least Samantha is aware of how barbaric your suggestion is; such acts are to be done in the privacy of one's bathroom. What kind of unmannered person does so on another!"

Sam pointed to her mother.

- "Mommy farts a lot when she eats Chef Boyardee. They smell like—"

Alexis, turning red in embarrassment, covered her daughter's mouth. She whispered softly into the girl's ear.

- "Thank you, baby. I suppose we should now discuss Mexican food and _your_ tummy… and underwear?"

Sam shook her head as she buried her face into her mother's neck as she recalled her unpleasant reaction to black beans coupled with a broken leg. By the end of the night, realizing she couldn't run quickly enough to dash the immobile child to the bathroom, Alexis sat her on the toilet until every last bean passed through her tiny stomach.

- "Sorry—"

Alexis kissed the girl's little hand.

- "I wouldn't say something like that to them, chipmunk. That's between you and Mommy; we'll laugh about it when you get older."

Sam stuck her pinky up to the woman; Alexis quickly wrapped her own finger around it.

- "Okay."

She smiled at her mother as she spoke to her cousins.

- "They smell like roses."

Stefan laughed aloud.

- "The raven lies to protect her mother's honor."

Alexis pushed the laughing girl's head back onto her shoulder.

- "Ignore my silly chipmunk; she's not in her right mind. Yes, I will freely admit that I happen to enjoy Chef Boyardee perhaps a bit too much at the expense of this one's olfactory sense. I might have stunted her growth, but I like her this small!"

- "Oh Alexis—"

- "Besides, she happens to also enjoy the good Chef when we don't have you, Stefan, spoiling us with snails, duck liver, and frog legs."

Nikolas made a disgusted face at the thought of Chef Boyardee. Because of his formalness, and being a young boy, passing gas was far less unappealing than his cousin's choice of meals.

- "I don't like canned food, especially not that! Your ravioli gave me diarrhea. Remember Cousin Alexis?"

Before she could respond to the recent memory of her backfired attempts at getting the boy to loosen up, Stefan, clearly sickened by the conversation, cleared his throat; he needed the conversation to stop before it truly began lest he expelled the contents of his own stomach.

- "Alright, now that we've come to learn more about each other than I personally cared to learn, I believe we've each our respective movies to watch. Samantha, I'm certain you'll be watching a princess film?"

The little girl smiled as she nodded excitedly.

- "Uh-hmm."

- "That does not shock me, one bit. Nikolas and I will enjoy Hercules."

Alexis smirked at the man.

- "Color me surprised."

- "Hush. Now, you and I—"

He continued in French.

- "—are still on tonight. I believe eleven thirty is adequate time. I doubt your little one will make it through the entire film, so feel free to unpack and make yourself at home. We'll discuss everything later."

She smiled at him. She was beyond grateful for his generosity. She wondered what she would ever do without him in her life.

- "Thank you, Cousin. –Good night, Nikolas. I'll see you in the morning."

Sam looked at the boy and her Cousin; she waved at them with a smile on her face.

- "I forgive you Nikolas, but I still choose the diner for breakfast. Good night."

The boy looked at the girl as though he had been smacked in the face; she knew how much he hated the diner and yet she wanted to punish him by having to go there again. He was not pleased.

- "Father, that's not fair! That place is… gross! I didn't know the restaurant food tonight would've made her sick! If we eat at the diner, I bet I'll vomit… on… on… _myself_!"

Stefan winked at his son.

- "Don't worry, my son—"

He gave the girl a kiss on the head.

- "I think we'll order room service for breakfast in the morning. And I believe it's Cousin Alexis' turn to choose where we lunch, and then mine for dinner; I suppose I'll choose another French restaurant seeing as Samantha enjoys the escargot. Well, good night, darling."

Alexis eyed her Cousin knowing that he was attempting to cajole the girl out of choosing a place that _he_ would again find unsatisfactory. Sam, on the other hand, merely shrugged her shoulders.

- "Okay, but Mommy will just order me chicken… or a burger. I'm still going to choose _a_ diner next."

The man eyed the girl for a moment. His doubts about her continued to diminish as in that moment, he saw of glimmer of Stavros pass through her. However, with Alexis' influence, such traits would remain a glimmer, rather than a flooding of the dead man into her personality.

- "As you wish, my dear."

He nodded and walked towards his son's room. Nikolas, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at the girl and stuck his tongue at her once his father's back was turned. Alexis saw his act and threateningly pointed her finger at him. He quickly ran into his room behind his father leaving the two new residents of the suite standing in the living room.

There was a knock on the door.

- "That's probably your tea and toast. Do you think your tummy will be able to handle that?"

- "Uh-hmm."

She rubbed her daughter's back as she went to answer the door.

- "Yes?"

- "It's room service ma'am."

She opened the door. The man carried in a tray of toast, jelly, butter, and two cups of tea; he set them at the dining table.

- "Have a good evening, ma'am."

- "Thank you."

After he departed, Alexis put Sam down and grabbed the tea and toast from the table.

- "How about we have this in our room?"

- "You don't like for me to have tea, Mommy… you said it makes me pee too much."

Alexis laughed to herself; this was another discovery she had made about her daughter's digestive system when the poor girl was immobile due to her casts.

- "Ah, yes! You're right, chipmunk. Then, how about we just have the toast and a little bit of water?"

Sam nodded as she ran ahead of her mother so that she could hold the bedroom door opened for her.

- "Good idea! Tea makes you pee a lot, too!"

- "Well, you are quite observant, aren't you sweetheart?"

Alexis walked into their new bedroom grateful for the change of scenery. She smiled at the realization that she had not seen Stavros in some time. It seemed her decision to move from the apartment was a smart one. If luck remained on her side, he would remain there and leave her be.

She put the toast and bottled water onto the desk. She began rummaging through the quickly packed bags searching for their pajamas.

- "Is your tummy okay?"

- "Uh-hmm."

Sam crawled onto the king-sized bed. She quickly removed her shoes and stockings. She smiled as she held the still whole stockings out to her mother.

- "Mommy, I didn't mess them up! Look!"

- "That's my big girl; I'm proud of you! But remember what I said, stockings rip all of the time; it's not a big deal for me to buy you new ones, okay?"

She nodded once again as she stood on the bed removing her dress and shirt.

- "Oooookay!"

Alexis watched Sam dance for a moment on the bed as she did every night whenever undressing; the girl's personality never ceased to amaze her.

- "Now, which pajamas are you wearing tonight, silly goose?"

The petite child, undressed down to her Little Mermaid panties with matching t-shirt, hopped off of the bed to hand her mother her dress and shirt.

- "You forgot my Ariel pajamas?"

She poked the child in the stomach.

- "No, chipmunk, of course not! I just forgot which ones you wanted me to pack for you; but looking at you, I guess I should've known."

She put the girl's dress onto the desk chair and lifted her onto the desktop.

- "Eat your toast, baby."

Sam took a bite from the bread and looked at the amount of clothes her mother had packed in the bags; it was more than she thought necessary for an overnight trip.

- "Mommy, why did you bring all of our clothes? We're not going home tomorrow?"

Alexis quickly found the nightgown in the bag and handed them to her; she took a bite from the girl's toast.

- "You and I are going to stay here with Stefan and Nikolas for a little while. Is that okay with you?"

Sam, having stuffed the final bite of the bread into her mouth, shrugged. She removed her t-shirt and slipped on her nightgown.

- "You're staying here too, right Mommy? You're not gonna leave me?"

She gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead.

- "I'll never leave you, baby; I told you that you're stuck with me."

She grabbed a pair of shorts and t-shirt for herself and began changing into them.

- "I think I brought everything we'll need. We have more than enough clothes stuffed in the bags to last awhile."

Sam smiled at her mother. She jumped down from the desk and searched the bag closest to her.

- "Did you bring Danny and Duckbert?"

Alexis noticed that the bear had fallen to the floor. She picked him up and grabbed Duckbert from the outside pocket of the other bag. She held them out to the girl.

- "Didn't I promise you I would?"

The little girl jumped up and down hugging her mother's bare legs.

- "You're the best, Mommy! Since we're all here, we can stay!"

She laughed at her daughter's excitement. She handed the duck to her and threw Danny onto the bed.

- "Silly girl! Why don't you put Duckbert in the tub and go brush your teeth while Mommy finishes changing."

- "Okay! You won't watch the movie without me?"

She grabbed the toiletry bag with their toothpaste and toothbrush from the duffle and handed it to her. She tapped the girl on the nose.

- "Of course not, chipmunk. Now, go ahead."

She swatted her bottom as Sam ran into the bathroom.

- "My crazy girl."

Alexis quickly finished changing into her pajamas, found the DVD of _The Princess and The Frog _and put it into the player Stefan had requested to be sent up to the room. Just as she was ready to hit play, Sam ran out of the bathroom and onto the bed where Danny was waiting for her.

- "I'm ready, Mommy."

Her back was turned to her daughter; the child's voice was different than she had heard over the past several weeks.

_- "Mummy!"_

She turned to smile at Sam's excitement, but she was no longer there. It was the same child she had seen in her dreams; she was staring at herself as though she were looking in a mirror. Her brain filled with memories of her forgotten childhood; it laid them before her like a television scene.

_A beautiful blonde woman stood in front of her mirror holding two dresses in front of her; she smiled at her four year old's entrance into the room._

_- "Natasha, my little chipmunk, you can help Mummy choose a dress for dinner tonight. Which do you prefer? The red or the blue?"_

_The child pointed to the red dress. Her mother always looked beautiful in the color._

_- "The red one!"_

_Elizabeth nodded as she threw the blue dress onto the bed and slipped the red one onto her slim body. She lifted her daughter, who wore a pretty red dress of her own, onto a chair._

_- "Zip Mummy up please, darling."_

_Natasha did as she was told. Her mother gave her a kiss on the cheek._

_- "Thank you, sweetheart. Now, what did you need?"_

_She sat the girl at her vanity and began braiding her hair into two French braids._

_- "Daddy asked me to tell you to finish dressing so we could leave."_

_Elizabeth rolled her eyes in amusement; her husband knew to never rush her as she always became cross with him. Instead, he sent their daughter in after her knowing she'd be unable to resist the child's adorableness. It worked every time._

_- "You tell Daddy that he mustn't rush a lady; beauty takes time."_

_Natasha looked up at her mother. She had inherited the woman's high cheekbones, but she was every ounce her father's child._

_- "But you're already beautiful." _

_She lifted her four year old's chin to stare into her dark brown eyes._

_- "Not as beautiful as my little chipmunk. You walk into a room Natty, and you make even the most beautiful girl look like the Ugly Duckling. I'm keeping up with you, my love."_

Alexis covered her face as she sat on the bed. Her heart raced in her chest as the memory rushed through her.

- "We never made it to dinner."

It was true. On their way to the restaurant to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday, a driver ran the intersection and slammed into the passenger side of their car, killing the woman on impact.

- "Oh my God."

She could almost see the lights approaching. The screaming was loud in her ears. She felt as though she were having an out of body experience, frozen in her spot and unable to move as she watched the car crash into her family's car… into her memory.

- "They're gone—"

Sam, noticing that her mother seemed distressed, crawled over to her; the woman appeared to be on the verge of hyperventilation.

- "Mommy?"

Alexis spoke to herself as though she were attempting to figure out a riddle; unfortunately, she already knew the answer.

- "And they left me… alone."

Sam gently shook her mother.

- "Mommy?"

Alexis jumped at the child's sudden appearance beside her, at first seeing her young self traumatized after the accident, but quickly realizing it was Sam. She looked at her baby whom she called chipmunk with her hair in two French braids; it was from her mother such a name and hairstyle was implanted into her brain. The woman was beautiful; she could not believe that she had forgotten that… she did not remember outside of the one picture she had of the woman, how stunning she truly was. But when she looked at her daughter, she saw her mother in her; while she saw a very young version of herself in Sam, it was clear to Alexis that the child took her mother's petite height, high cheekbones, and the shape of her face. The features were there; they had always been there, and yet she felt as though she were looking at the girl for the very first time. It scared her. The memory of her mother… of her parents, Elizabeth and Andreus… her life with them… everything, was somewhere in her subconscious wanting to come out, but as she looked at Sam, she was afraid of what she might learn about them and the reason they chose this moment in her life to resurface.

- "Hmm?"

Sam touched her mother's face, wiping a way a single tear that rolled down her cheek.

- "You're crying. Do you want me to get Cousin Stefan for you? He can make it all better?"

She gave the child a kiss on the cheek.

- "No, I'm fine… chipmunk."

She was doing it again; she was allowing her six year old to worry about her when it should have been the other way around. After eighteen years of being locked away, memories of her former life, a life she barely remembered, were creeping into this new one she was attempting to establish as a mother to this sweet little girl; she needed them to go leave her be. She was fine not knowing who she was then because she was happy with the person staring at a child she had only imagined having back in her life. This was enough for her.

She scooted up on the bed and leaned against the headboard. She pulled Sam to her.

- "Look, I brought _The Princess and The Frog _and a few of your other movies with me. When we find a new apartment, I'm going to put all your princess movies into your bedroom for you—"

Sam frowned at her mother.

- "You don't want to share a room with me? Is it because I told Cousin Stefan and Nikolas you _fart_? You can tell them about the Mexican food!"

Although her cheeks flushed at the memory of her daughter's overshare, she smiled at how uncensored children, especially Sam, tended to be. And the point of the matter was that being as attached to her as the girl was, there was no real room for privacy; as well as she knew her daughter, the child grew to know her like the back of her own little hand.

- "No, sweetheart. Believe me, while I would have preferred you kept that bit of information about Mommy to yourself, Cousin Stefan and Nikolas do the same thing; so, don't worry about that. But, Sammy, don't you want to have your own room?"

Sam shook her head as she crawled into her mother's lap.

- "I don't like being by myself. I like being close to you. You make… her… go away when she tries to take me at night. I don't want her to come back again… if I'm in another room, you might not know!"

She wrapped her arms around the girl, almost cradling her. She had to admit that she had grown accustomed to her daughter's excessive attachment to her, but she certainly knew that there would come a time when her role as Sam's security blanket would stop and her six year old would no longer be traumatized and would discover personal space. If she were to ever heal and become a normal child, the girl could not stay this way forever.

- "I tell you what? How about we get a two bedroom apartment, but we keep the other bedroom for when you're ready to move into it? Okay? Mommy's not going to rush you; you can stay stuck to her like glue for as long as you want. When you're ready, you let me know and you can move into the second bedroom."

- "If I get scared I can still come back to you?"

- "Of course."

- "Promise?"

Alexis drew a cross on her daughter's chest.

- "Cross my heart."

Sam, feeling reassured, nodded.

- "Okay, but not for a long, long time. I don't want Danny to miss you too much when it's just me and him in a big room all alone."

Alexis laughed; she kissed her daughter on her forehead.

- "Danny and you are always welcome. If either of you gets scared, you can come to me; I'm always here."

Sam nodded as she began to play with her mother's locket attempting to open it.

- "Mommy?"

Alexis removed the necklace and opened it for her daughter.

- "What is it?"

Sam studied the picture for a moment before looking up at the woman again.

- "You said this is your Mommy and Daddy, right?"

- "Yes."

She stared at the picture of her parents for some time. There they were as handsome and beautiful as they appeared in her memory and dreams. She felt a pang of pain within her at the knowledge that she would never see them again. While she had only four years with them, most of which would continue to be buried in her subconscious as there was only so much a person recalled at such an age, the knowledge that she had had two loving parents and was loved by them left her grief-struck.

- "I loved them very much."

Sam snuggled into her mother.

- "Did they let you sleep with them when you were scared?"

Alexis thought for a moment. While she did not remember such acts, she knew that they must have; she was deeply loved.

- "Yes, I think they did."

- "They didn't think you were a baby because you got scared… or sometimes wet the bed?"

She shook her head.

- "I don't think so, but sweetheart, I hope you know that I don't think you're a baby. You're MY baby, but you're far from a baby. I remember when I first moved to Stefan's house as a little girl, I had accidents, too."

Sam looked up from the picture and at her mother. She was shocked that a woman as her could have done the same thing.

- "You did?"

Alexis nodded as she thought of the times when Stefan, with the help of the servants, quickly changed the sheets on her bed before Helena noticed that they had been soiled.

- "I did. I had nightmares at night, just like you, and I didn't wake up on time."

- "What were they about?"

She thought back to those terrifying first few months. She dreamt about everything… about nothing… about them before she truly knew who they were and what they meant to her.

- "Um, my parents."

Sam attempted to snuggle closer to her mother, but she was already completely wrapped in the woman's embrace. She once again stared at the photograph.

- "They died, right? That's what you said?"

She thought of what her life would have been like had they had lived. She had an English accent in the dream; it seemed she lived somewhere in England. She wondered whom she would have become they had made it to the restaurant and celebrated her mother's birthday as a family.

- "Yes, chipmunk."

- "Do you miss them?"

That was a difficult question to answer. It was hard to miss people you have only just come to remember, but she certainly did, even as a young and tortured child in the Cassadine household, miss the idea of having parents. She always knew that she was an orphan, and Stefan had always told her that her parents loved her, or at least they must have because she was a loving person, but that never dulled the sense of loss within her.

- "Um, you know sweetheart, I missed having parents growing up, but I don't remember them."

- "Why?"

- "I guess I was really young when they died—"

Sam tearfully looked at her mother. This was what scared her everyday and caused her to cling to her mother.

- "Are you going to die, too? Nikolas told me he doesn't have a mommy, and he said Cousin Stefan's mommy is mean like Evelyn that's why he doesn't ever see her. You don't have one either, Evelyn said hers died too, so did Cody's! Belle, Ariel, and Cinderella! Mommy, nobody has one but me and I don't want you to die!"

Alexis held the girl to her, rocking her back and forth; this explained part of her clingy nature, no one around her had a mother. Sam had spent years being treated horribly by Evelyn, and now that she was in a loving home, her fear that she would suffer the same fate as those around her, terrified her. Alexis could not believe that even the child's fairy tales were filled with the same message; she wondered if she should attempt to find a different interest in her daughter.

- "Sweetheart, I can't promise you anything about not dying because no one knows when their time will come, but I will say that I have no desire to leave you anytime soon. Okay? I'm sticking with you as long as I physically can. And do you know how tough Mommy is?"

- "You scared Evelyn and Cody away."

She poked her daughter's belly.

- "Exactly! Don't worry about this, baby. I'm here with you now and I intend to keep it that way, alright?"

Sam nodded her head as she yawned and rested her head on her mother's chest. Alexis grabbed Danny and handed him to her daughter.

- "Let's see how long you last through this movie, chipmunk."

She smiled when she looked down at her daughter to see that she had already fallen asleep. She looked at the clock and noticed that it was only ten o'clock. Seeing as she had an hour and a half remaining before Stefan and she discussed what was on his mind, she figured she would watch the movie to ensure that perhaps this princess had a mother to hold her close.

* * *

**Just a note in re a review**: Keep in mind that $100 in the late 1960s and 1970s was a decent amount of change. From what I looked up, it was between $500 and $600 today. So, Cristoff wasn't EXACTLY skimming on Evelyn; he was giving her a bit over bare minimum. If she had wanted, she very well could have lived off of that and stayed away from Cody; the problem was that the money didn't give her the love or wealth she wanted. To a woman such as her, being the daughter of a man such as Cristoff, $100 was easily dismissed as chump change. So she married him, got the love (to some extent), but lost the stability and certainly did not get the wealth. LOL.

You will find out more about Evelyn as the story continues.


	19. Starting to Feel

I'm falling asleep. Here is PART B as Chapter Eighteen was PART A of what would've been an exceptionally long chapter. Many thanks to those who took the time to review it; I appreciate your comments. As usual, they are inspiring.

Now, this is NOT entirely edited and some was written while I continue to fight sleep. I'll reread it in the morning… afternoon, when I wake up.

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Starting to Feel**

Helena walked back into the room to find Evelyn, still in the bathrobe, sitting in the same spot she had left her. She stood at the door watching unnoticed as the haggardly woman stared out of the window at nothing in particular while she smoked a cigarette. From the smell of the room, and the empty cigarette package sitting at the table beside her, Helena could tell that since she had left, Evelyn had done nothing but smoke enough cigarettes a chimney sweep would be necessary for her blackened lungs. The sight of her younger sister, a woman whom she hardly knew, disgusted her; she was another person Helena added to her list of the world's waste of skin.

- "I'm back."

Evelyn did not bother to turn around to look at her. She had sensed Helena's return from the sudden drop in the room's temperature, along with the daggers aimed at the back of her head. She had always known how Helena felt about her; it was nothing she had not become accustomed to with the members of that family. She did not care any longer; she would not give her sister the satisfaction of insulting and degrading her.

- "I'm shocked you were able to walk out of this room without a servant to carry you out. Congratulations on your safe return."

- "Seeing as you've already embarrassed me, here's a few things so you can actually look like you belong to society."

Helena placed the room key into her clutch and threw the bag of clothing she had purchased across the room at the woman. Evelyn jumped at the impact of the bag against the back of her chair.

- "What the hell is wrong with you? You talk about being civilized and of class, but you're throwing this sh*t at me. Your manners leave much to be desired, Helena. Do you think Cristof would be proud of his little princess? Methinks not!"

As much as she would have liked to push the woman out of the window for such a comment, Helena remained calm as she sat on the couch across from where the woman had been seated.

- "You're very welcome Evelyn."

She scoffed.

- "I'm not thanking you! You wouldn't be here if you didn't need something from me!"

Helena smiled curtly at her younger sister.

- "Actually, I don't need anything from you at all. You were imprisoned, and I could not very well leave you there—"

Evelyn cut her off. She had called the woman numerous times; at each call Helena's servants were instructed to inform Evelyn of her absence. Her appearance that evening was shocking to say the very least.

- "I've been in jail for weeks, you didn't give a sh*t then! Now here you are—"

- "Better late than never—"

She glared at her sister.

- "The hell! Its because of you assholes I was there in the first place!"

Helena looked at her nails; she was indifferent to the woman's plight. People such as Evelyn were never able to take responsibility for their personal screw-ups; it was always the fault of others, but never because they were clearly worthless. Helena had zero patience for such attitudes and the people in whom they seemed engrained.

- "You'll have to excuse me, but please, explain to me how that would be my fault?"

- "And Cristof's!"

Helena leaned back amusingly; she wondered if she could get away with murdering the drunkard in the room where she sat poisoning the air with her foul language. For one false word against her father, she would surely snap the pitiless creature's neck.

- "I'm quite curious of how you'll spin this into Daddy's supposed neglect of you. Dear sister, please be so kind as to inform me HOW Daddy's lack of care for you resulted in you walking into this hotel looking not only like a person who had clearly been imprisoned, but also smelled as though such confinement had been in a bottle of cheap whisky rather than a prison cell."

Evelyn kicked the bag out of her way as she approached her older sister. As repulsed as Helena was with her and her impoverished state, the feelings were mutually felt against the snobby woman. She hated everything about the woman she had only seen and spoken to but for a handful of time in her life. Helena was a spoiled socialite who believed the sun rose and set for her and her dysfunctional family. Given the chance, Evelyn would have sold all that she knew to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, that chance had yet to arise.

- "You cannot be this stupid, Helena! Actually, I'm a little insulted that you would think so lowly of my intelligence to think that I wouldn't realize that the only reason you're here is for your grandkid!"

Helena eyed the woman for a moment; she wondered if she would actually say the words that would cause her death. But for the bastard child's unfortunate emergence to the land of the living, she would have nothing to lose in ending Evelyn's life. Alas, her desires would have to wait until she found the child and disposed of her properly.

- "My grandchild? What exactly are you talking about, Evelyn?"

She had spoken in a frighteningly calm tone that would terrify even the most rowdy of children. Evelyn heard the deathly coldness in her sister's voice; knowing the woman was proving quite unstable, she took a step backwards but did not bother to change her own angry tone.

- "You can act as dumb as you like Helena. You and I both know you aren't here for me or out of the kindness of your stone heart. You want the kid back, but you already know that I don't have her."

Helena nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders.

- "Whatever will help you sleep at night, dear. Now, if you don't mind, it would be wonderful if you would change. I suppose you're hungry; prison food cannot be too appetizing… or fulfilling."

The younger woman eyed her sister knowing she had ulterior motives for her 'visit' of sorts. However, she could not deny that her stomach had been growling for some time. While she could have done without her dinner date, she knew Helena would never skimp on a high priced meal for herself, even if she had to begrudgingly drag her along behind her.

- "Fine, but I'm not eating anything you'd find in your garden soil."

Helena was growing impatient with the woman, but she kept her temper at bay; there was much she needed to learn.

- "Of course not! Shriveled up hot dogs sold from a man who appears to not have bathed in days is more up your alley than expensive delicacies. I'll attempt to chose a restaurant accommodating of your exquisite desires and needs."

Evelyn ignored the final comment. Instead she picked up the bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt her sister was so kind to have purchased for her.

- "Oh Helena, aren't you generous! Sears! Did you put a gas mask over your face as you walked into such an inexpensive, low-classed department store? Surely the scent of cheap fabric made you faint. Are you okay? Shall we call the doctor?"

Helena shook her head in disgust.

- "And that's your problem Evelyn; you're an ingrate; this is why you're in the state you're in! Daddy cared for you your entire life—"

Uncaring that the woman sat in the room, Evelyn disrobed; she took her time to get dressed knowing Helena would be uncomfortable.

- "Yes, $100 a month… I was sooo rich. I'm so grateful—"

- "You weren't begging for food on the street! That allowance provided you food in your mouth, clothes on your filthy back, and a place to live! It was sufficient!"

Evelyn shook her head.

- "It was BEAR minimum at best! And then he abandons me because he realized that I couldn't be bought or controlled and left me to fend for myself with Cody—"

Helena felt her blood pressure rising as she defended her father's name from an alcoholic fool with whom she unfortunately shared DNA. It was a mere unlucky draw of the short stick that resulted in their familial connection.

- "YOU chose to marry that good-for-nothing! You wanted to be a married woman, so Daddy allowed you just that! He didn't have to continue providing for you; that was your husband's job! Do you think when I married Mikkos he cared for me?"

The younger woman slammed her hand onto the desk. It astounded her that the woman was unable to see how different their situations had been. She was not put into a position where she had the opportunity to marry a billionaire as Helena had been. She grew up in Shempville, New Jersey; it was known for quite a bit, but billionaire husbands were not one of its attributes.

- "Are you THIS out of touch with reality that you can't see the difference between the ways we were raised?"

Helena allowed her eyes to graze over the woman; the differences were apparent.

- "Believe me, it isn't too difficult to see."

Evelyn shook her head as she took her seat. She grabbed the shoebox she had found in the bag and rested it onto her lap. She stared at Helena for some time thinking of all she had given up because of her; the hatred within her grew with each breath the other woman took.

- "What amazes me Helena, is that you sit here judging me and calling me names under your breath, but your kid f*cks up and who did Daddy come running to, to clean up the mess? Me. You don't even have the decency to say thank you. All you know how to do is turn your nose up at me. Well you know what? F*ck you."

Because this was the conversation Helena needed to have, she counted to ten in order to calm her nerves. She continued to remind herself that she could not murder the woman… yet; she needed to learn what had been done all of those years ago and to what extent Evelyn possessed disreputable knowledge of her beloved son.

- "My _kid _did nothing! You shut your—"

Helena attempted to interrupt the woman, but Evelyn continued to speak; she would have been damned if this woman failed to allow her to release the anger she had been feeling within her. She had been cheated her entire life by that family; the pattern would stop from that moment onward. She had nothing else to lose but her freedom, as a trial against her remained pending.

- "I've shut my mouth for way longer than I should've. I've had your f*cking kid's bastard with that spoiled waif you assholes took in… I didn't sign up for that sh*t, Helena!"

_**Flashback**_

_He stood at six feet five inches tall. His hair was as white as snow and glistened in the sunlight; but for its color, the waves that ran through them could certainly have been confused for that in the ocean's tides. His face was narrow with a twinge of an olive complexion emblematic of his European heritage, defined by a pristinely cut beard matching in color to the hair on his head. Finally, his eyes, the feature most notable of this dapperly gentleman, stared into the eyes of his admirers from behind a pair of the most expensive and custom-made frameless glasses. Cristof Komensky, a well-established man of the former Czechoslovakia, residing in the nation's capital was, for lack of a better word, a ladies man._

_He was fluent in multiple languages, charismatic in his deeply timbered voice when he spoke, and affectionate with those women he found exceptionally attractive. While many women adored and fawned over him, few captured him. This was the essence of his charm._

_And so he stood holding the child, his great grand-daughter, in his arms (he would never have referred to her as such in front of his beloved daughter, Helena). He looked at the girl his daughter refused to see or refer to as anything but a bastard and smiled as their identically shaped eyes met for the very first time._

_- "You truly are a beautiful child, little one. It's quite a shame how you came to be otherwise you would be a welcomed addition to this family… especially for your grandmother. Unfortunately, it seems poor genes run in that side of the family."_

_He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek then rang the doorbell of the house before which he had stood for the past ten minutes. He had never been a man of nerves, but the request of which he was about to make forced them to surface._

_It had been several years since he had seen her… his daughter, Evelyn. He looked at the filth piled on the porch steps certain that the interior of the dilapidated house would be much worse; his heart hurt for her, but she had made her choice. While admittedly he did not provide for her the way he had for his other daughter… the legitimate one… he gave her enough on which, given the time, with a job or career of her own, she could have been comfortable. Instead, she allowed greed and a foolish pride drag her to such a miserable lifestyle. _

_- "Let's hope, little one, that your aunt accepts you… otherwise I haven't a clue on what I'll do. If I could, I would take you in myself, but we both know that is not possible; your grandmother would never forgive me."_

_She opened the door shocked to find him on the other side of her threshold holding a child who clearly belonged to his family._

_- "Cristof."_

_Regardless of any estrangement between them, he did not appreciate a child of his referring to him by his first name; however considering the nature of his business at her doorstep, he knew it best to allow such disrespect to pass._

_- "Hello Evelyn; how are you?"_

_She thought about the mounting bills, the lack of money with which to pay those bills, and her inability to feed her mentally handicapped son and his waste of skin father; how else could she be but miserable? And there he was, her father, dressed in a luxury suit which probably cost more than her rent and debt, standing on her porch with broken and splintered steps asking how she was; the taste of hunger in her mouth grew bitter at the sight of his smiling face._

_- "Oh, I'm fantastic Dad; thank you for asking! Is this your new child? I would think at your age you would have stopped having children you have no interest in."_

_He could not blame her for being angry with him. In the years since she had married, he could have checked in with her to learn if she were living as comfortably as the man had promised she would. He could have sent her larger amounts of checks for her birthday, Christmas, and Mother's Day. He could have done plenty so that she could live… better; but he had not. As he stood on her doorstep awaiting entry into her 'home' it was evident that he had abandoned her. He had no excuse for it._

_- "If I had known, I would have—"_

_She scowled at his regret._

_- "Sent me a check for $100 so that you could sleep good at night knowing that your little bastard was living in the lap of luxury?"_

_He sighed in annoyance. Such rude behavior was intolerable to a mannerly man such as he; his tolerance for her grew shorter as she refused him entry._

_- "I understand your anger Evelyn, but may I please come in?"_

_She curtly waved her arm stepping aside to allow him to pass._

_- "So, to what do I this pleasure?"_

_She eyed the baby when she spoke; the look did not go unnoticed by him._

_- This child is… you niece—"_

_Evelyn shook her head in disbelief; she was in her thirties, which put Helena well into her forties, if not already her fifties. _

_- "Does this kid have down syndrome or something?"_

_He grimaced at her odd question._

_- "Excuse me? No, she is perfectly healthy!"_

_- "Well then you'll have to excuse my ignorance, but I'm pretty sure that bitch is too old to be having any more spawns than the three she already has."_

_Once again he wanted to correct her, especially in regard to his dear Helena who had done nothing to this woman she barely knew, but since he held the child of whom he needed her to take care, he continued to bite his tongue against her insolence._

_- "Your sister has two children; Sofie was a stillbirth."_

_She rolled her eyes. _

_- "Oh it's not as though I'm on the Christmas list or anything to know that."_

_He cleared his throat at her uncaring attitude. He could not very well blame her as she had been quite young, perhaps eight or nine, when it had occurred. Nevertheless, one would have thought the death of a child would strike some compassion in her; clearly, in regard to her, he was mistaken._

_- "I suppose I should've been clearer: this is your great-niece, Samantha. Her parents are too young to care for her properly… actually—"_

_She jumped from her seat._

_- "Stop speaking."_

_Her sudden movement caused him to do as he had been told. He watched as she paced back and forth; she was piecing together the reason for his visit. She had not seen Cristoff since Danny had been born some years prior (she tended to forget the boy's age seeing as the doctor continuously, on the few visits her son had had since he had been born, informed her that he was mentally far younger than what he actually was; so she gave up worrying about his actual age and referred to him as whatever age the doctor had decided). And now he sat in her filthy living room holding a child in his arms, informing her that it was her great niece whose parents were incapable of raising her. She sensed something off with his story and visit._

_- "And why exactly did you bring it here? You think I can take care of it?"_

_Keeping his eyes directly on her, he slowly nodded his head._

_- "That is why I'm here—"_

_She cut him off._

_- "LOOK AROUND DAD! This isn't the mansion I'm sure you and your beloved Helena are accustomed! This is barely a shack, and it's filled with more residents than I care to count."_

_He finally looked about the room. From what he could tell, there was not much to the house; it was one level and could possible cover a mere tenth of the space on the first floor of his home. There did not appear to be a formal dining room, the room in which he was being received was, disregarding his accustomed space in his palatial home, rather small and overlooked an even smaller kitchen whose floors did not appear to have been mopped in months. Cristof, without a tour of the house only needed to imagine the size of the sleeping quarters, of which he hoped there was more than one; it would have been inappropriate for his granddaughter and her son to share a room with Evelyn and her husband. Looking at the woman, he could only imagine the things that would go on in their bedroom._

_- "There are others beside Cody and Daniel living here with you?"_

_She laughed at the man's ignorance; he was not used to the four, eight, and twelve legged friends that remained perpetual squatters in the homes of the lower class. This was a whole new world to him. As if on cue, one scurried past his foot._

_- "Yea, Dad! There goes Mickey right there! You might want to be careful so that they won't scuff your fancy shoes; he likes to intentionally step on your feet just so you're aware he's there. Now Minnie, she shouldn't be too far behind. I think she might be pregnant so please be careful where you stand. I'd hate for her to lose her babies… mother's pain, I'm sure Helena can tell you about that."_

_He knew at that moment that he should have left with the child, but there was nowhere else to turn. He would not give the girl, a member of his family, to strangers; he could not do that to his Helly… she would want to see her one day. Despite the way in which she came to be, the child was in fact the final reminder of her son. He refused to believe his daughter would not want such a thing. The woman's world had once again been turned upside down. She was in mourning; she would change her mind. And when she did, he would be able to give his little girl what she desired: her beloved son in the form of his only child. Until she realized what she truly wanted, Evelyn would have to do._

_- "Listen to me; I know you're angry with me; and I probably do not have any right to ask this of you, but this child is family. She needs someplace to stay—"_

_She rolled her eyes._

_- "So give it to her grandmamma—"_

_He wiped his forehead with his handkerchief; the house was exceptionally stifling in the spring's heat. He decided he would need to provide this family with a new home; this place would be unacceptable for the child._

_- "Look, Helena cannot take her in because no one is to know of her existence."_

_She stared at the sleeping baby in the man's arms. While Evelyn found her to be incredibly stunning, she was not and could not be her problem; there was enough on her plate._

_- "It seems to me as though it's a wee bit too late for that. Look at her, Cristof; SOMEONE has had to have seen her!"_

_He looked down at the baby. He would not leave until she was in his daughter's arms._

_- "No, they haven't. Evelyn, you have to understand that Stavros is a married man; he can't—"_

_A light bulb went off in her brain._

_- "Ah, so he's the baby daddy! It's all making sense now. He got some other broad pregnant, didn't he? Now Daddy, why does that sound soooo familiar to me?"_

_Cristof was shocked by the irony, felt more disgusted being that he was, unbeknownst to Evelyn, in some way being compared to a rapist. Despite his faults, he loved his wife and had deep feelings for Evelyn's mother; their acts together were consensual and from that love. Stavros' act against that innocent girl, on the other hand, was in no way comparable to this. That boy… man… animal… had, out of some sick idea of loyalty, taken advantage of the girl. Alas, Cristof was not shocked to learn the truth of what had occurred; his grandson had always shown signs of sociopathic tendencies. As he thought about the man, Stavros had been doomed from the moment Helena had decided to remain with her pitiful excuse of a husband. Nevertheless, he would never tell Evelyn such things about the man; this all was to remain within the family._

_He shamefully looked at the baby._

_- "I deserved that, I did."_

_She scoffed at his high road stance._

_- "And then some. So let me get this straight: you want me to raise this… thing because Helena's little sh*t cheated on his wife and now everyone's protecting him because none of you want the tart who married him to know about it?"_

_She watched as he nodded his head hoping that she would buy the web he spun. However, having married a con, she could sense more to the story._

_- "Well, where's the whore?"_

_- "The whore?"_

_- "Yea! That thing's mother. Where is she? Why's she able to lie on her back, shoot this kid out and not take care of her responsibilities? Why are you here asking dear Aunt Evelyn to take care of her kid? What's her deal?"_

_He had anticipated the question. This was where the situation became complicated. He knew he had no other choice but to tell her the truth, but he very well could not give it to her in its entirety; he had to color in the transparent shame. If he informed this woman of what had been done, Helena would never forgive him. So he gave her only what she needed to know._

_- "The mother is a young teen who cannot care for her. She hasn't any money of her own, a job, or even skills with which she could find suitable work; she is the young girl Mikkos unwisely brought into their household some years ago. It has been decided that at this time, she needs to focus on her education."_

_Evelyn's mouth fell open. She was ignorant about most things, but she had watched enough television to know how illegal, at least in the States, it was to sleep with a young teen. She found herself amused by the situation. With a large grin on her face, she squatted down before her father. Not wanting to wake the baby and be bothered by her cries, she whispered excitedly at the man._

_- "Wait one minute! You're telling me, Steven—"_

_- "Stavros."_

_- "Whatever! You're telling me he popped the cherry of a little girl and now this kid can't care for her kid, and he doesn't want his wife to go all Lorena Bobbitt on his d*ck because she's married a pedophile!" _

_Cristof narrowed his eyes at the vulgar woman._

_- "Don't be crass!"_

_She shook her head in astonishment._

_- "You decided to bring one bastard child to another so we can what? Bond? Yea, no Dad; I don't think so. Give that thing up for adoption or something, but I don't want it. I've got enough problems of my own to be wrapped up in some crazy cover-up. Tell Stavros to keep it in his pants next time because I don't want to see you here with another one of his spawns next year 'cause my answer isn't going to change."_

_Clearly she was unaware of the recent family events._

_- "I know this won't change what I didn't do for you in the past, but I will support you once again, Evelyn. You don't have to live in this squalor. I'll purchase a home for you and send you a check for two thousand each month to cover the mortgage; that should be more than enough to care for you and the child."_

_She retook her seat and silently stared at him for some time; she needed to process his request and the offer she had just received. Looking at the state of her home and the problems she and Cody were having, she could have used the money, but he was giving her his lowest bid. After everything she had lived through over the past twelve years because her father refused to support her, she would have been damned if she lost yet another battle of the war of bastardization with this man. She deserved better than second best._

_- "Have you forgotten the two other mouths I need to feed? Unlike you, I can't leave my kid to starve, Cristof—"_

_He spoke softly when responding to her accusation; he did not want to lose her._

_- "I didn't leave you to starve."_

_She ignored his defense._

_- "Well, seeing as I do have an entire family, my suggestion is that you give the kid away if you're so concerned with Helena's kid's secret screw-up because I can't and I won't give this little Komensky everything she deserves."_

_He wondered if she would be so thoughtless as to turn down such a large amount of money. In the years since he had last seen her, her foolish pride did not seem to diminish. She was still the same stubborn and arrogant woman who could not escape her sense of entitlement. He looked down at her. This was no way to be. He had given her what he could in consideration of the time and the way in which she had come to be. He did not have to do all that he had done for her, but he did from the kindness of her heart. Surely, in some way she understood this._

_- "Evelyn dear, please be reasonable. This is quite a bit I'm offering you. You don't want to live and raise your son this way, do you?"_

_She glared at him. She wondered if he would have been seated in the same position in Helena's large and luxurious living room holding her own filthy little ankle biter asking that spoiled bitch to take in her child. Looking at the man with his nose turned up at her and the as though he were in some way better than she, there was no wondering; he would not do it because she was not deserving of such treatment. _

_She was a bastard; the product of an affair with some whore dancing for a bunch of rich old men with nothing better to do with their bottomless pit of money. So who was this child, belonging to an orphaned charity case teen, to have such a high price tag placed on her head?_

_- "Let the princess deal with her kid's bastard and dysfunction that'll come because his little soldiers kamikazed their way out of the packaging. If this thing is, after all of these years, the reason you're giving me money then you can keep it. I was of no use to you before, and I won't be of any now. I'm not helping you. Get out."_

_This was of what he had been afraid. There was no other place for her to go. This was it. He could not take no for an answer; she had to take the child. _

_He tried once again._

_- "Evelyn, three thousand."_

_She stood still for a moment before smiling greedily at the man; her life was finally turning around._

_- "Fine. Give me the kid."_

_Remaining in his spot, he met her greedy gaze; surely she could not have though it would come to her so easily. There was much to discuss before such an agreement could be made. _

_- "There are conditions."_

_He reached into his suit pocket for the documents._

_- "There are a few things we must get straight before I begin providing for you once again. The most important being that Helena is to never learn of my visit or the child's existence in your home. You are to provide for the girl as though she were your own. I will provide for you enough money to purchase a suitable home in which to raise her."_

_She indifferently nodded her head._

_- "Fine."_

_He spoke sternly with his daughter in the hopes that she would understand all that he was saying to her. While she was far from his Helly, she was still his daughter; seeing her live as she had been was disheartening. He hoped that with his help, a change would come._

_- "Evelyn, I am giving you a second chance on a new life. You have the ability to leave Cody—"_

_She rolled her eyes._

_- "I'm not leaving my husband, Cristof. You might not believe me, but he's a good man."_

_He sighed._

_- "Alright. Just… just make something of yourself."_

_- "Just give me the kid."_

_Having nothing left to say to the woman, he handed the child to her._

_- "Meet your daughter Samantha, Evelyn. Good luck."_

_And so he walked out of the house never to see his daughter or great-grandchild again. He could not believe the shame that existed in that family; his heart hurt with regret at the mixing of the Cassadine and Komensky blood._

_**End of Flashback**_

The older woman was stunned. Evelyn was more ignorant than she had even thought possible. Helena stared at her sister, a woman with whom she had had no contact for nearly a decade, and whose recent calls she had avoided… up until recently… over a month after burying her dear father.

* * *

Stefan lightly knocked on what used to be his bedroom door. At the sound of his cousin's soft grant of entry, he slowly opened the door. He smiled at the sight before him: Sam was fast asleep clutching her bear as Alexis, sitting against the headboard with her eyes closed, held her in her arms.

- "I'm happy to see that this room does not smell of… roses."

Without bothering to open her eyes to shoot the man a look, she merely smiled.

- "As you said Cousin, my baby protects my honor even after sharing more information than necessary."

- "At least you know Samantha knows how to share with others."

Finally opening her puffy and red eyes, she smirked at the man; he wore long flannel pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. Very few people were able to see the real Stefan outside of his formal appearance; Alexis loved seeing her cousin dressed as a normal person.

- "Flannel should be your signature attire, you know. It brings out your eyes."

Noticing the state of her eyes, he moved toward the bed and sat at its corner. For a moment they each sat at opposite sides of the bed watching each other; each feeling the other's burden, but neither truly wanting to address it. Stefan, however knew the silence could not last forever.

- "You've been crying."

She rolled her eyes at him.

- "When aren't I crying these days, Stefan? I swear that's all I do: eat, drink, cry, and oh yea, according to this one, fart."

He laughed to himself.

- "It's rather difficult to forget that one."

She rolled her eyes at the man.

- "Honestly I'm waiting for the day when my tears will stop because I've been at this from the day Cousin… or should I say, Uncle Mikkos, brought me into that horrible house."

Stefan was shocked to hear her refer to his father as uncle; as he had been ignorant about her identity and relation to the family, he assumed she had been as well. It seemed he had been mistaken.

- "How long have you—"

She knew the man had known something. From the moment he had returned from Greece, he stared at her and watched every move that she and Sam made. This must have been the reason.

- "I've been having dreams and flashing memories about the accident… and my parents. I'm assuming Mikkos told you about them?"

He felt his heart stop for a moment at the mention of her memory about her parents returning; he wondered if she might know more about her family as a whole. He knew he would have to answer her question, but he wanted and needed to know more of what she knew; perhaps it would cushion the blow she would receive from the information his father had given him.

- "He did somewhat, but there's more than enough time for us to discuss this. What have you been remembering? Is it bad? Were you mistreated? Is that—"

She shook her head. If only that had been the reason for her tears; if only her parents had mistreated her, then maybe their deaths and the impact it played on her childhood would have been less painful to her now, nearly twenty years later.

- "Do you see this little one, Stefan?"

Without a word, he nodded his head. It was a rhetorical question for which no answer was truly expected.

- "I have never felt more blessed in my life than to have her here in my arms. When I love at her, there is nothing but love that fills my heart. When she hugs me and tells me how much she loves me, I feel as though the world has stopped spinning and no one else in it matters but her. That's how much I love her, Stefan."

His heart broke into pieces as she spoke about a child for whom he held a death certificate, medical records, and an autopsy report. But then again, he looked at Sam and he could see a six year old Alexis asleep in a large bed in a sparsely decorated room. When he looked into his crying cousin's eyes, he saw the little girl who captured their hearts. He saw Sam, not this dead child Andrea.

- "I can see that, darling."

She played with Sam's braid for a moment, composing her thoughts.

- "Tonight, she told me that she was terrified of leaving my side because she's afraid I'll die."

- "That's horrible!"

She sniffled. She appreciated that her cousin was allowing her to get everything off of her chest; if her thoughts and feelings had festered any longer, she would certainly have exploded. She looked down at her daughter just as a tear fall onto her sleeping face; she was in love with a little girl whose arrival into the world was nothing but hateful, cruel, and abusive. It seemed almost wrong how little any of that mattered to her.

- "Yeah, it is. She told me that no one around her has a mother. She said that they're either dead or mean like Evelyn and Helena. She said she's the only one with a mommy and she doesn't want to lose me. My baby girl, my little chipmunk, stared at a picture of my parents feeling sorry for me because they were dead, and you know what ran through my mind the entire time, Stefan?"

She stared at him awaiting a response almost hoping that he might not want to know because in that way she would not be forced to verbalize her horrible and shameful thoughts. Putting her thoughts to words would make her the most horrible and selfish person to ever walk the earth; more so than Stavros. But he asked her.

- "What was it?"

She sighed deeply as she looked at Sam who snored softly in her sleep.

- "I was thanking God that these people, whom I remember loved and who loved me back, were dead!"

He reached for her knee but she folded them into herself, shaking her head; she did not want his comforting words.

- "Alexis, it's okay to feel—"

She cut him off before he could go any further.

- "No Stefan, it's not. My mother was beautiful, petite and slim with blonde hair and green eyes. She called me chipmunk and braided my hair in French braids just as I do with Sam. She's reminded me everyday that I was the most beautiful person in the room and that she loved me more than the moon and the stars—"

- "And you do the same with Samantha."

She wiped a tear from her face.

- "And my father… he was exceptionally handsome. I guess I look like him."

She held out her locket for Stefan to see. There were no pictures of his uncle around their childhood home; in fact, he had not even known of an Andreus Cassadine's existence until he read the file. As he looked at the man's file, he found himself rather intrigued and a bit lost in the image.

- "You _do_ look quite a bit like him, Cousin."

Alexis nodded silently. As she thought about her parents, she felt as though she were reading a book for the very first time, and she was the main character. Her life was unfolding slowly before her very eyes. With Stefan, it seemed that he was watching the episode of her life alongside her; she no longer felt so lonely.

- "His eyes were just like Mikkos'; they were dark and mysterious, but my father's were softer…. I suppose that's more of a guess than anything seeing as I've spent my life avoiding making eye contact with your parents."

He finally handed the locket back to the woman.

- "Haven't we all."

In truth, for Stefan, it was quite easy to avoid his parents' gaze as neither seemed to look his way in the first place. He had come to learn from an early age that he was practically invisible in his home. Such was his plight when stuck in the shadow of Stavros' golden rays. However, for the first time, he wondered if there could have been more to the story.

- "But Alexis, I don't believe you grateful for your parent's death. Look at all that it's cost you."

She smiled sadly at the man.

- "And yet, look at all that it's given me, Stefan. I remember feeling so loved, so very loved by these people, and feeling as though my mother was the most beautiful person in the world and wanting to be just like her when I grew up, but still sitting here missing what little of her I remember, I'm grateful she's gone. I'm happy I survived a car crash that killed my parents because then I got you, and then Nikolas, and finally her."

It was a sick twist of fate that in order for her to have been most happy, she had to lose her happiest memories, and instead be bombarded with hateful and horrible ones. Life had a funny way of working out, but it seemed on far too many occasions she was the butt of its jokes. But this time it was different; while she carried the scars of her unhappy childhood, but held in her arms the result of it. For once, pointing to her daughter, she felt as though she beat life's at its own game; she made it to the other side.

- "Without all of that happening, I would never have had you, Stefan… and I guess you wouldn't have had me. And without being cocky or anything, you needed me; you were dying in that house."

He lied back onto the bed thinking about all that she had said. Despite his disagreement with her concerning _her_ feelings about her parents' death, he could not argue with her on her final point. That was what made him most sad; he felt selfish to admit that in some way he was also grateful for his cousin's loss because he made his childhood all the more tolerable… and less lonely.

- "I was and I did need you… more than you know. And as I've always told you, Alexis, you might have thought I was your saving grace, but in reality you were mine. I had the servants who cared for me and made sure I was fed. Mikkos, while he wasn't exactly the most attentive father, he made sure I focused on my studies, but that was it. Honestly, I think in my twelve years before you fell into our laps, I don't think anyone ever hugged me or told me I mattered to them. That was you, Alexis. And I thank you for that."

- "Well, there's no thank you that's really necessary, Cousin; you've always been easy to love."

He smiled at the woman. There has always been something about her, from the moment they had met, that made him want to protect her from the world; even as a terrified four year old, she had always been his best friend. And looking at her with tears in her eyes, he could see into her soul and the pain that threatened to drown her; he would save her.

- "Alexis—"

She shook her head.

- "I just wish… with all of these memories resurfacing… the pain—"

She caught herself mid-sob; it was all beginning to get too much. She could feel the false memories of her childhood and the suppressed events crashing on top of her. She needed it to stop. She did not want to remember anymore.

- "It's just too much. I wish the pain had remained hidden wherever it was because I can't be a good mother to Sam and care for her issues if I'm falling apart, Stefan. I've got Stefan on one side of me telling me that I shouldn't love her, then these memories of my parents and me grateful that their dead, but the pain of it all punching me in the gut—"

He could see it wrapping itself around her. As much as he would have loved to fight the pain for her, he could not; his father had, for far too long, locked her into a box where she remained hidden from her reality. He would never do that to her; it was time she face it head-on and finally dealt with all that life had given and taken from her.

- "You're mourning Alexis; you have to let your body go through the process. There's so much… you'll get through it, darling…. And you know that you won't be alone. I'm here for you."

She stared at her little girl watching her sleep; she could do that forever and not feel the time pass.

- "All I want Stefan, is for my mother to hold me in her arms the way Sam wants of me every second of the day. She spent six years without a hug or a kiss or an 'I love you'; aside from you, I spent eighteen years without it. If suddenly my mother were returned to me, I'd probably be just as starved for her attention as Sam is for mine. But all in all, I never realized how much I missed it until I realized how grateful I was that it was gone. How twisted is that?"

He closed his eyes imagining what such a feeling would be like. He provided his son with more love than he had ever thought was possible of him, but it all seemed unfair, as he listened to Alexis speak, that neither he nor she truly know such a feeling. They had been cheated and he did not understand why. In time, he hoped to find the reason.

- "It's okay to feel conflicted; it's a lot to take in, dear. You're not going to get through this overnight."

She heard the change in his usually confident and reassuring voice; he felt it too… the pain. She slowly moved Sam from her arms and onto the bed. She covered the girl up and prayed that she did not wake up with a nightmare or have an accident; her daughter would be mortified.

- "Shall we continue this conversation in the living room. I know there's something weighing on your mind."

She pulled him up by the arm so they could make their way into the living room.

- "I suppose we can discuss it over tea."

She shook her head.

- "According to my daughter, I pee too much when I drink the tea. I think I'll stick to water."

He laughed aloud while silently his heart broke into a million pieces.

- "Samantha knows you quite well."

She rolled her eyes at the man as she pushed him from the room.

- "Shut up."

_

* * *

- "Papa, I need you."_

Helena sleeplessly lied in her bed listening to Evelyn snore from across the room. Her mind swirled of thoughts of her father and all that he had done for her throughout her life. _Papa, please. _She confided in him in all of her troubles. He had protected and loved her unequivocally and without question or judgment.

_- "Anything for my Helly. What do you need?"_

Sorrow and pain were words that did not exist in her life with the man. Cristof Komensky was her hero, her champion, her idol. _My Helly, why are you crying? _While she had grown up with a mother, the woman was emotionally absent; she had cared more for the appearance of a perfect family, despite her husband's overseas affairs, and other family secrets she would have preferred remain quiet, rather than truly care for the girl.

_- "Stavros had dinner with you last night, correct? He returned this morning."_

But he was always there for her; regardless of the situation, her father stood by her side holding her hand and assuring her that everything would be fine… _I'm… pregnant_… even when it was not… and could never be.

_- "No, he was not, darling; I haven't seen your son since the holidays."_

Unfortunately, he was not always successful. Her daughter was born dead. _Are you sure, Helly?_ Her son was now dead although most would say that he had been born with a dead soul in a living body, but she knew better.

_- "Papa… Stavros MUST have been with YOU last night because he was NOT here."_

Her son, like her father, was her protector. He only strove to make her happy and to please her. He only wanted to make her proud. _Yes… the doctor confirmed it. I—._ And he did everyday he walked the earth… except that day. That day, for the first time in his life, he ashamed her.

_- "Yes Helly, your son was here with me._

Now she was alone. Her son was long dead, buried, and rotting in the ground. And the flowers she had planted on her father's grave had barely had a chance to bloom. _I'm with you, my love. Always and forever. _She had no one left in her life, and it hurt her more than the deaths of these wonderful men.

She rolled over knowing that sleep would never come as her father's words continued to embed themselves into her mind. It has been a long month of tears and grief, but she could not continue this way. She was Helena Cristine Komensky Cassadine; such tears were unbecoming of a woman of such families. She had been through and seen too much to allow the deaths of these men to collapse the strength of character they had built for her. She would not disappoint them. She would protect her son as her father protected her.

She pulled the covers back and stepped out of the bed. She walked toward the wall safe where she kept her purse and jewelry away from that conniving low-classed woman making a dent on the couch. She quickly found what she needed: the letter her father had written to her shortly before his death. While she knew the letter expressed his regret in all that he could have done for her, she had not understood all that he had been attempting to convey at the time in which he wrote it. She blamed it on his growing senility. Now, weeks later, it was clear.

_My dearest Helena,_

_For as long as you have been the beat of my heart, I have tried to protect and shield you from the world's torments. I have given you all that I could afford, assuring that you were always the best, the most extravagant, and the most happy; I sadly realize, that I have failed you. There is no greater pain for me in knowing that I could not keep my beautiful little girl smiling all the days of her life._

_Sweetheart, I wish in my final days I could tuck away your heart's pain and the continued sorrow of your dear Stavros' passing. I wish I could restore the smile onto your face from your teens and the day on which you married your husband, and return to you the bliss of that marriage and give you the birth of healthy and loved children instead of those you received. There is so much that I want to still do for you and I'm aware that I cannot. I am dying and will be gone, and you are no longer here. My beautiful Helly died so long ago; I can only hope that I might find her when I cross over._

_Nevertheless, I have left to you something that I had hoped would release your captive heart from its torment, and might again put a smile on your face. You may not want it and you may be angry with me because of it and what I have done to preserve it, but that is fine; I would understand your reasons. In doing what I have done, I simply wanted you to remember the innocent smile on your Stavros' once youthful face. I want you to understand that he continues to live on and that all is not lost from your son's shortened life. _

_My love to you forever and always,_

_Papa_

_P.S. Remember the innocent__._

She sat on her bed rereading the letter several times understanding exactly what the man had done. In truth, she had forgotten about the child's birth and had believed in her death… or at least the death she had allowed herself to believe after it had been taken from that little whore's arms. Like most unpleasant things that existed in her life, Helena had allowed herself to forget.

However it seemed by some twist of irony, her worthless son had inadvertently made sense of her dear father's final words to her. Having heard that Evelyn, after over a decade free of contact with the woman, had consistently attempted to reach her, it seemed things were falling into place. Her father's actions were clear.

Rereading the letter for a final time, she felt ready to face the reality of her veiled past.

* * *

She sat on the living room floor looking through the numerous pictures she had spread on the coffee table. Her baby, just as she had remembered her, was smiling, crying, laughing, and sleeping in the pictures. She was happy. She was thriving. She was beautiful. She had a family. And that was where it all ended.

Alexis picked up the newspaper clipping attached to the three death certificates. It read: _Family of Three Dies from House Fire. _According to the article, her baby, Andrea Natasha Davidovitch had died due to smoke inhalation. The child had struggled to survive for several days in the hospital, but eventually succumbed to her injuries. The article, in black and white ink, indicated that her daughter was dead. She could not believe it.

- "Stefan—"

She picked up the last picture of the child Mikkos had been sent. She studied it for some time. She shook her head in annoyance; none of this seemed right. She held it up to her cousin.

- "There is NO way in God that this child is dead."

Stefan's thoughts concerning Sam's identity continued to waver back and forth. He wondered whether or not he had attempted to see more in her than was actually there, or if she could possibly truly be who he wanted her to be. He wanted nothing more than to have that child who adored his cousin as deeply as the dead baby girl should and would have loved her, but he had other images that would destroy such a belief.

- "Alexis—"

She stood up and approached him at the chair where he had been seated.

- "You look at this picture Stefan Alexei Cassadine, and you look me in the eyes and tell me that you have not seen this child before. You tell me that those eyes are not the same as the ones on my _daughter_ asleep in that room! You tell me that and I swear to you, because you've never lied to me a die in my life, I'll believe you."

He stood up to meet her pleading gaze; she did not want him to do anything that she had just requested. She wanted him to… tell her the truth. She wanted him to see all that she had seen in the month that she had cared for Samantha. She wanted him to say the words that would keep her world from collapsing on top of her.

- "Alexis, please."

But he could not; not when he had photographs from that child's autopsy. He refused to show her such a thing; it would only break her.

- "Why don't we just get DNA tests—"

She shook her head.

- "No, I want to first hear you tell me that you don't believe this crap. I want to know that you have not been sitting here looking at my daughter like she's some kind of fraud. I want to…"

She looked over to the corner where he once again appeared. He smiled as he cradled a baby wrapped in a pink blanket his arms. From the distance in which he stood from her, she was unable to see the child, but his presence with her indicated that she was not of the living.

- "I NEED to know, Stefan, that you don't think I'm going crazy; that the reason that man… thing… has been following and tormenting me is _because _Sam is who she's supposed to be."

Still holding the baby, he slowly approached her.

_- "Say it, Alexandra. SAY it."_

Keeping her eyes on the approaching ghost, she said the words that she had never thought would ever leave her lips.

- "Please Stefan, tell me that Sam is Stavros and my daughter."

Stefan followed her gaze; as he saw it, she was staring at nothing, but he knew better. He took her by the shoulders and forcefully turned her body toward him, but her gaze remained toward his invisible brother.

- "Look at me, Alexis."

Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks as she watched the man move more slowly than her normally did to her; he seemed to be taking an eternity and she needed to see the child in his arms. Why was he now taking his time when all he had done over the weeks was molest her every chance he had gotten.

- "He's coming, Stefan. I need to see—"

For the first time in his life with Alexis, the usually calm gentleman found himself losing his patience with the woman. He quickly ran from the room and grabbed the picture he had been shielding from her. He returned to find her in the same position, staring at a dead man only she could see.

- "I didn't want to show you this, but you've left me no other choice. You have to stop this Alexis!"

He held the image to her face and watched as her eyes registered what she was seeing. The baby was lying on an examination table with her chest cut opened into the shape of a Y. She had the same beautiful raven colored hair, full cheeks, and from what she could tell, the same… eye shape. She pushed it from her face so that she could continue to look at the now stagnant Stavros and baby. She needed to see if he held that same baby in his arms.

- "I can't—"

He stood in front of her, but she attempted to push him out of her way. For the first time, she wanted Stavros, not Stefan; only the dead man could give her what she wanted.

- "Please, Stefan! I need to see—"

He grabbed her face and stared into her tear-filled eyes.

- "What the hell do you think this is teaching you, Alexis? You're hiding from the truth—"

She met his gaze as she grabbed his arm still holding the image of the dead baby.

- "That's NOT the truth! THAT is NOT my daughter!"

He could see her impending collapse in her dying eyes. It caused tears to well into his own eyes.

- "We don't know that, darling! But you can't continue to hide from the truth; you have to face it! There is a chance—"

- "NO, there isn't!"

- "Stavros, whatever he's telling you it isn't true! Even if Samantha is yours, I'm sure he's filling your head with polluted thoughts—"

- "At least she'd be mine, Stefan."

He connected his forehead with hers. He needed to hold on to her; he could not lose her.

- "No, she would be his and you would still have lost her! Can't you see? You have to deal with what happened to you, cherie! You have to deal with what _might _have happened to your daughter! You can't keep living in this new life you've created for yourself and Samantha without dealing with all that's falling at your feet. Look at the coffee table; these are the many pieces of your life that I'm handing to you; you have to face them!"

Sitting on the coffee table underneath the images of her daughter, were birth and death certificates of the people who had given her life. According to the brief glance she had taken of them, she was Natasha Cassadine, born to Andreus Alexander Cassadine and Elizabeth Natasha Davidovitch. Her father was the younger brother of the man she had called cousin since she was made to live in his home, Mikkos Cassadine. Despite this, never in her years living with the man, had she seen any pictures of her father or heard his name uttered by a soul; with his death, her father ceased to exist in the memories of anyone who knew him. How could she face pieces of her life that did not conform to all she had known and been told? She wanted to remain ignorant if it meant keeping her daughter… the one asleep in the bedroom they shared. Nothing else mattered.

- "I don't know how. I don't… want to."

He understood her trepidation, but knew that it could not continue if the truth was to be had. There was too much in her life that was unaddressed or hidden from her for one reason or another; it had to stop. His beloved cousin was breaking and for once, he could not save her. Leaving his own tears to roll down his cheeks, he brushed away hers.

- "Alexis, I can only pick up the pieces and hand them to you; you have to want to put them together. If that child is who you claim her to be, there must be a reason for all this hell and torture both she and you have been put through. It's all inside of you to figure out why."

She shook her head as she pushed him away from her. She grabbed the picture of her baby she had held before him and walked into the bedroom she shared with _her_ daughter. She turned on the bedside lamp before lying in the bed. She stared at the photograph for some time before looking over at Sam who had found her way to Alexis' side of the bed; she clutched the woman's shirt while burying her face into her side.

Alexis felt a wave of sobs run through her as she looked at the image and stared down at the child. She carefully detached Sam's hand from her shirt and lifted her into her arms. She noticed that Stavros had found his way into the room and sat at the desk staring at her as he continued to hold the baby in his arms. He raised his eyebrow.

_- "Hmm, no cursing at me tonight, dear?"_

She kissed the top of Sam's head.

- "Tell me she's… ours… please."

He blew her a kiss.

_- "I can tell you who you are."_

That was not what she wanted to hear. Holding _her_ little girl in her arms, she knew that if she was not the same child she carried in her for nine months, it would not matter who she was; like her father, she would cease to exist.

While it was rather late, he knew that time was of the essence. He knocked on the suite door hoping his knocks would be heard even in slumber. They were.

Stefan, having looked through the peephole, quickly opened it; for the first time in his life, he was happy to see the man.

- "Father."

**

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please Review.**


	20. Uncertain Confirmations

I apologize for the delay. **Please review **to tell me whether or not you're still interested**! **Continued posting to this site is contingent upon ACTUAL reviews. Your reviews keep the muse, Annie, alive and wanting to post updates. They're greatly appreciated!

I was falling asleep as I attempted to finish this, so certain sections are not edited. I'll look this over in the morning.

**Chapter Twelve**

**Uncertain Confirmations**

Alexis held her girl in her arms as she and Stavros continued to lock eyes with one another. They had been seated in silence for over an hour just watching each other's movements. For the first time in the numerous years she dealt with the man's abuse and now the weeks he had been haunting her, Alexis fearlessly welcomed his presence. In some way, his constant appearance meant what she knew all along: Sam was every bit her daughter. Regardless of anything that was said to her about the girl, Alexis was going to hold tightly onto her baby; no one would take her child from her again.

- "You know, I remember the moment I held her in my arms for the very first time. I counted every finger and every toe. I stared at her for the hour and seven minutes they allowed me to hold her studying her face so that I would never forget it… just in case. This is the face I remembered."

He was not interested in her thoughts of a child he never wanted. He could not have cared any less about the child. Listening to the unwanted waif lament over some bastard that so happened to be conceived from his… act… against her, was not the purpose of his visit; it was far deeper than that. Compared to what he knew about the woman, and what he so desperately wanted her to know about herself, the child's identity, false or not, meant nothing to him.

- "Just in case what, Alexis? She were returned to you? Come now, Stefan handed you proof—"

She shook her head as she held her daughter close to her.

- "It's a lie, Stavros; you know just as well as I do that it is."

He continued to cradle the baby in his arms mimicking Alexis' actions with Sam.

- "So you really don't care about your identity, Alexandra? Or should I say, Natasha? Or Alexis?"

She watched his every move hoping to catch a glimpse of the baby in his arms; unfortunately he kept her- or at least she assumed the child was female- well concealed. She needed to see the face; she had to see whether or not that baby's eyes matched Sam's… but then again, why would they?

- "Stavros, please; I don't care! The only thing I care about is my daughter—"

He snickered wickedly.

- "Whom you hope is in your arms… and not dead in mine."

She was at a loss for words as to how she could response to his correct observation. In her heart of hearts she knew that Sam was hers, but she needed confirmation… confirmation from a dead man she hated more than anyone she had ever known. Unfortunately, it seemed, holding a baby in his arms, he was the only one who knew the truth.

- "Please—"

Her voice was pleading, but he was left unmoved by her plight. Chuckling to himself, he scratched his pristinely groomed chin.

- "You know, I must tell you that I'm quite flattered, my dear. I always knew that some part of you always wanted me."

She was appalled.

- "I never wanted you Stavros!"

He stood from his seat and began pacing the room while rocking the silent baby. He hummed Chopin's Funeral March to the child before turning to look in Alexis' direction.

- "And yet you want me now."

- "Not for—"

She stopped speaking when he began caressing the child's cheek; she felt hypnotized by his actions. If only he would move closer to her… she just needed a peak.

- "Stavros—"

He smiled down at the child.

- "Alexis, I want you to understand one thing about all of this: regardless of what you say about wanting that… or this child, just remember that but for one person, you wouldn't have her… or me for that matter."

She was perplexed by his words. She would have said thank you as her daughter was the greatest gift that she had ever received, but she knew that was not his intention. There was clearly something more to what he was telling her.

- "What does that mean?"

He walked over to the side of the bed where she sat holding Sam in her arms. He stood over her for several moments before speaking.

- "You're not listening to me Natasha; perhaps that has always been your problem. You don't listen. I don't care about this or that child, my dear; I only care about you!"

As the final word left his lips, he dropped the baby from his arms causing the woman to let out a soundless scream. Holding tightly to Sam with one arm, she scrambled, with the other arm, to reach for the child before she hit the ground, but when blinked, the baby was gone; it vanished into thin air.

She felt her heart racing in her chest terrified by the baby's unknown fate. She stared at the laughing man wondering what he had done.

- "Where—"

He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

- "What difference does it make if you yourself are… lost, my dear?"

She felt her arm being shaken slightly, but she could not take her eyes off from the arrogant man. She… she needed him…

- "Mommy?"

But she needed her more.

She had been asleep with her daughter wrapped in her arms; it was a dream. Certainly all that Stefan had told her was a dream… or was it? She was no longer sure of anything. Stavros appeared to her so frequently and vividly in both her sleep and in her waking hours, that it all appeared to merge. She had to question whether or not Stefan would truly tell her such a horrible thing about the girl.

But none of that mattered when she opened her eyes and met the tearful gaze of her six year old. She immediately sat up and took the girl's face into her hands. She looked into the child's tear dropped shaped deep brown eyes, knowing that such a feature could only come from one man. Her mind began to spin with thoughts and realizations of the lies she had been told in the past; she would address them in due time. For now, the only person who mattered to her was the little girl whose face matched her own.

- "What's the matter, chipmunk? Why are you crying?"

Sam leaned into her mother while rubbing her tiny belly.

- "I'm hungry and my tummy hurts."

Considering that she had regurgitated every bit of the food she had consumed that day outside of the piece of toast she had eaten before bed, Alexis was not surprised by Sam's hunger pain.

- "Oh, you are? Do you want some more toast?"

She shook her head as she rested her head against her mother's chest.

- "Mommy?"

With every use of that word from the child, Alexis felt a wave of joy fill with her that was quickly followed by a stabbing in her heart; if her conversation with Stefan had really occurred, there was a chance that this little girl, with whom she had fallen in love, was not hers. How long, if this were true, would it be before Sam was taken from her once again? How could she look in her daughter's eyes and promise that she would always be there for her when she herself had been told the same thing from her real parents; look at where that left her. Nevertheless, as she held the girl and felt deep to the core of every fiber of her being the connection between them, she knew Sam belonged to and with her.

- "Yes sweetheart?"

- "Can we go back home… please?"

Alexis, knowing that her wall had failed, felt tears rolling down her cheeks. If she could have taken the girl and run away from it all, the Cassadines, Stavros, and the McCalls, she would have. She would have taken her baby girl, her locket, Danny and little Duckbert, and started anew someplace where no one could ever make her doubt the love she had for her or her mere existence. She would raise Sam without the constant nightmares and hauntings from a past they would have both been better off forgetting. It would be ideal, but unrealistic… and hurtful to those who loved them. She could never leave Nikolas… or Stefan, even if he chose to believe the lies about the girl.

- "You don't want to stay here anymore? I thought you were happy being here until we found a different apartment?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders.

- "Cousin Stefan's not gonna let us eat regular food, Mommy. I don't want fancy stuff anymore… I just want a pop-tart… and Spaghetti-Os."

Alexis looked down at the girl and smiled.

- "You want pop-tarts and Spaghetti-O's? Together?"

Sam quickly sat up to stare at the woman.

- "No silly! I only want... Pop-tarts!"

- "Is that right?"

Sam nodded her head.

- "Uh-hmm; they don't make me sick like Greek food and snails."

She frowned as she got up from the bed and moved over to the duffle bag underneath the desk.

- "Baby, you didn't get sick from the snails. I mean you didn't like them and you spit them out onto the plate, which Uncle Stefan didn't like too much, but you didn't get sick."

Sam hopped off the bed and stood behind her mother who had just taken a seat on the floor while she searched the bag.

- "I bet I would've if I ate them! They were nasty. They tasted like dirt."

Alexis poked the girl in the stomach.

- "How you exaggerate! They weren't that bad!"

She began playing with the woman's hair, pulling it out of its ponytail and arranging it the way she wanted.

- "Snails live in the dirt!"

- "My smart girl, I suppose you're right!"

Sam smiled at her work of art.

- "Mommy, your hair would like better this way. Look at it!"

Alexis leaned over to her right where a full length mirror hung on the wall; Sam had pulled half of her hair to the top of her head, albeit slightly to the side, while leaving the bottom loose. It was not a 'do Alexis Davis would be seen wearing while in a courtroom… then again, she had not yet decided when she would return to school to complete her degree, so it appeared it would be acceptable while she figured out the turn her life had taken. She reached behind her, tickling Sam until she squirmed to her side; Alexis pulled her into her lap giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek which caused the child to giggle.

- "That's gross Mommy!"

- "Just like Mommy's stinky farts, but you live with those right?"

Sam made a face at the woman.

- "I don't think you should eat Chef Boyardee anymore."

Alexis smiled widely at her daughter. She had never felt happier than to have the child in her life. Everything about her emerging personality made various memories of her short life with her parents return; Sam, despite Stavros' comments to the contrary, was very much everything her younger self had been before her parents were stolen from her.

- "Well, if I can't eat Chef Boyardee, you can't eat Mac n' Cheese anymore; something stinky comes out of you when you eat that too! It's only fair."

Sam gasped in shock.

- "Okay! I changed my mind! You can have it if I can still have mine!"

Alexis kissed the top of her daughter's head as she reached into bag.

- "Well, that's a good thing because I would've hated to throw all these things away."

She pulled out a can of Chef Boyardee as well as a microwaveable bowl of Mac n' Cheese. She had anticipated that her daughter, while they stayed with Stefan, would soon have withdrawals from the foods she had grown accustomed to eating in the month they had lived together. So, she packed the bottom of the duffle bag with poptarts, a few cans of Chef Boyardee, several individual bowls of Sam's favorite cheesy dish, along with other snacks they had in their kitchen cabinet.

Upon seeing what Alexis had packed, Sam tackled her mother to the ground, covering her face with kisses until she grabbed a package of S'more-flavored poptarts. Sitting on top of the woman, she waved it in front of the woman's face.

- "Thank you Mommy! Can I have this now… please?"

- "I dunno; Are you eating both in there, or are you going to share one with Mommy?"

- "I'll share half of one."

Alexis scooped the girl up into her arms and walked to the door.

- "I guess that's fair; you are the growing child here… although I like you tiny so I can pick you up and carry you everywhere like a doll."

- "I'll stay little for as long as I can!"

She opened the door.

- "You do that, chipmunk."

* * *

- "NO!"

Helena jolted from her sleep; her body and clothes were drenched in a cold sweat. She had had yet another nightmare, one she had not had in years, but seemingly resurfaced once that child had found her way into her family fold. It was all a nightmare that continued to occur in her sleep and in her actual life. Just when she thought it was over, something came into her life that brought it all back. That something, this time around, was Samantha.

She wondered what she had done to deserve such a thing. She had always tried to be kind, treated her husband like a king, and raised the beautiful boy she had been blessed to have, until—

- "Must've been one hell of a nightmare."

She did not know how she had not noticed the cloud of smoke that filled the dark air. The room reeked of the horrible scent of Evelyn's cheap American cigarettes; it sickened her.

- "Excuse me?"

Evelyn took another drag causing Helena to see, from across the room, the orange glow of her cigarette.

- "You had a nightmare, didn't you?"

Helena leaned over to turn on the bedside lamp.

- "Why are you awake… and sitting in the dark?"

The younger woman finally put out what had been her fourth cigarette of the night. She stared at her… sister… taking in the pitiful appearance she possessed: her hair was matted to her head, her expensive nightgown stuck to her tiny frame, and the crazy look she had seen earlier that evening, remained in her eyes. Staring at the woman, it caught Evelyn off guard how a person who had led such luxurious and prodigal lifestyle could still, at night, in the vulnerability of her own home, or comparably lavish hotel room, carry the same look of pain she, an impoverished and uneducated woman, did. It almost seemed implausible.

- "How would you expect for me to sleep, Helly, if you're muttering crap and screaming all night?"

Helena's face immediately blanched; she did not wan this woman to know anything about her or her family. Evelyn was of a different breed and caliber than she; her life and past were of no consequence. She had no right to her family secrets.

- "I apologized for having disturbed you; perhaps I should book a separate room for you."

Evelyn made a face. Helena was offering her a room in a five star hotel; clearly there were skeletons in her nightmarish closet of which she did not want her knowing. This could certainly be a lucrative opportunity for the pathetic woman.

- "Hmm, I mean, how long are we talking about here? I was thinking that maybe you might want to get me out of your hair or something. Wouldn't you prefer to get me a place to live?"

Helena looked sideways at the woman. She knew that in order for her father to have given her the child, he would have had to support her. She wondered how she could have arrived at such a penniless state.

- "What happened to the home Father provided for you and the child? And all of the money?"

Evelyn looked away from Helena. How could a woman who had never worried about a penny in her life, ever understand how very little three thousand dollars a month went to a family of four whose patriarch was an alcoholic, con artist, and schemer? Whose eldest, and only, child mentally handicapped and needed more care than she was financially able to provide. And then there was that extra mouth to feed in Samantha; the cause and the problem for her money woes; taking care of such a child was no picnic. Why should Evelyn have had to spend money on some bastard child whom no one seemed to want? No one did the same for her when she was a child; who was this child to take food from Evelyn's family's mouth when they did not have enough for themselves? Yes, she agreed to take the child in in exchange for financial support, but in the end, the money provided to her was rightfully hers; Cristoff was her father. She deserved it just as much as Helena, and certainly more than that child.

However, sitting in the jail cell for weeks, Evelyn realized that in spite of everything she thought and believed about Sam and Cristoff, she was no innocent; she drank with Cody, went along with his schemes, and enjoyed the perks of having such an income coming into her household for nothing… really. But that was it. They splurged incessantly on items they did not need, purchased cars on credit, and went on expensive trips. They lived a carefree life of which neither party had a care in the world… until the bills came in the mail and there was not enough money in the bank to pay them.

She had called her father for help, but eventually he grew tired of the couple's reckless spending. When the calls to him became incessant and redundant, he refused to aid them beyond a penny more than he had promised to send Evelyn each month; he left his daughter to be an adult with a husband who failed to provide her with all that he had promised.

All she had ever wanted was to live with her family a happy life free from life's burdens. In the beginning, she did not mind being forced to raise someone else's child because it finally seemed as though everything was turning around; her father was recognizing her, if only through the child, and providing for her, purchasing a home and vehicle for her use. For the first time in her life, Evelyn had felt as though she belonged to a family… one that she had always longed to have... One that Cody had promised to give her. And then as quickly as the feeling settled in, it vanished. She was alone.

In the end, she found herself once again in the same position she had been in: struggling to make ends meet, in a rickety shack as they were forced to sell their home due to increased financial issues, an alcoholic husband, a retarded son… and an unwanted mouth to feed belonging to a bastard child for whom her father was more than happy to provide. Evelyn was... miserable.

Alas, she could never tell any of this to a woman with a seemingly perfect life. Helena would never understand.

- "Look, we weren't talking about me and we're not going to start. You paid my bail and I guess I'm grateful, but, I obviously can't sleep on the street. I'm in your custody so if you want to get me my own room so I don't have to listen to you scream, talk, and yell at whoever in your sleep, that's fine, but—"

Helena interrupted her; her fear intensified at the thought of what the woman might have learned about her. She had long ago learned to not discuss certain things of her past; unfortunately it seemed that her subconscious had decided otherwise. This was unacceptable.

- "What _exactly_ was I saying?"

Evelyn lied back onto the couch happy that the conversation easily returned to her self-centered sister.

- "Hmm, how should I know? Aside from screaming _no _a few times… I mean, that's really no different in any language, I guess—"

Her heart began to slow in pace as she let out a sigh of relief; there was no way an ignorant woman such as Evelyn, would have been able to understand anything other than English… and even that, her native tongue, she could not master.

- "So, I wasn't speaking in English?"

Attempting to shield her agitation over the obvious difference in education between herself and her sister… as well as among that supposed charity case whore, her strange cousin or bodyguard, his little runt, and undoubtedly that bastard child she had been forced to raise, Evelyn lit another cigarette. As she took a drag, she realized that she needed to learn to control her anger against those who looked down at her. Seeing them for who they were, she knew they were no better than she; the only difference between them was money. In fact, the more she attempted to put the pieces together of things she had heard from her father in the few conversations they had had, the secrecy behind Samantha's existence in her home, and even the resemblance she had seen between Alexis, a supposed distant relative, and her nephew Stefan, Evelyn became convinced of one thing: her sister's perfect family was just as screwed up, if not more, than hers. The image of an envious Cassadine, and perhaps Komensky, life was a mere façade; theirs was an ill-fated house of cards of whose destruction the treacherous woman gladly awaited.

- "Of course you weren't, Princess. You were talking in one of those weird languages you people talk over there in _classy_ Europe that we ignorant Americans could not POSSIBLY understand. Don't worry, your nightmare's secrets are safe… for now. If I were you though, I'd be careful what I go to bed thinking about at night… you know, make sure they _ain't_ in English!"

Helena, shaken by her sister's words, pulled the sheets off of her legs and stepped out of the bed. Watching Evelyn nonchalantly smoke her cheap cigarette, she was not certain that the woman was being entirely truthful; did she _really _not hear all that she might have said in her sleep? Seeing her as she was, Helena felt a chill run down her spine; she needed to get out of the room.

- "Well, as I said, I apologize for disturbing your sleep. I suppose I should take a shower; jet leg has taken its toll and I doubt I'll be able to fall asleep again. Perhaps you should take my absence as a time to rest."

Evelyn mockingly smiled at the woman knowing that she had made her uncomfortable. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

- "You're so thoughtful! Thank you. Enjoy your shower, sis!"

Grabbing a fresh nightgown and robe from her bag, Helena curtly nodded her head.

- "Goodnight, Evelyn."

Upon entering the bathroom, she threw her clothing onto the sink counter and leaned against the door; it was all collapsing around her.

* * *

He opened the door shocked to find the man standing there.

- "Father, what are you doing here?"

He immediately stepped aside to allow his father entrance into the suite. While he would have normally been annoyed by such a late and unannounced visit, Mikkos' presence would, for once, be of some use to Alexis; perhaps this man could inform them of the puzzle that was his file. Perhaps the man could return to her a solid grasp of reality; he had, after all, in some ways, taken it from her. The file was only a piece of her stolen life.

- "I was not expecting you."

Mikkos stared at Stefan, who promptly took his luggage and placed it by the door; the man was dressed in a pair of pajamas and a robe. This was the first time the older man could recall ever seeing Stefan in such informal attire; in fact, he was not certain if he had ever seen him dressed in anything but a formal suit. Being greeted and presumably welcomed into the man's quasi-living room, it was as though he were being invited into his private life. Never attempting to engage Stefan in conversation outside of that relating to Cassadine business and relaying messages to Alexis, Mikkos felt a slight sense of awkwardness in the man's presence.

- "[ahem] Well, seeing as you failed to bother to answer any of my numerous calls without any thought to their high importance, I figured it best that I come to you."

Stefan knew that it had not been wise to ignore the incessant calls of his absent father. He knew when the calls continued there was a chance of importance, but he did not care; what could have possibly been, aside of Nikolas, more important than Alexis and Sam?

- "I apologize for the inconvenience of having you come all this way, Father; I was tending to _my _family. They needed me."

Mikkos knew that the man was attempting to ostracize him before their conversation had even begun, but would not give him the satisfaction.

- "Well, aren't you lucky to be so needed Stefan; I'm certain you're more than willing to inform me of how vastly different such a desire is than from your neglectful childhood—"

The younger man, without waiting for his guest to sit, took his seat. He owed no respect to a man such as Mikkos.

- "And to what do I owe this visit?"

Mikkos shook his head in disgust at the man. Stefan had not offered him a drink, he sat without inviting him to do the same, and was quite rude… then again, such behavior was common of Stefan; he was always the more difficult of the two boys… or perhaps he had expected better from him. Nevertheless, taking a seat at the sofa, Mikkos placed his briefcase by his feet.

- "I assure you that this is not a social visit-"

Stefan traced the armchair's design with his finger as he anxiously awaited the revelation of the nature of his father's impromptu visit.

- "Certainly not—"

Before the younger man could make one of his infamous smart retorts, Mikkos interrupted him.

- "Where is Alexis? I had originally intended to seek her out first, but I thought it improper to stop by a young woman's home at such an hour; I did not want to frighten her."

Stefan indicated toward the short hall leading to the room currently occupied by his cousin and her daughter.

- "You would have been wasting your time; she and Samantha are staying here for the time being-"

- "Time being?"

Stefan did not feel it was his place or his father's business to disclose the nature of Alexis' mental state; such conversations were privileged to those with whom she felt comfortable speaking. He was certain Mikkos was not among the list of people who fit such a criteria.

- "Yes, the time being."

Sensing there was more to the story, Mikkos pushed further; with his wife on the loose and seemingly unstable, he needed more information than Stefan's cryptic two words.

- "Is she alright?"

Stefan stood from his seat and walked over to the dining table. He searched through the file until he found what he needed.

- "No, she is not—"

Holding the image that was forever burned into his memory, he turned to face the man.

- "How exactly could that girl... Young woman... be alright after you had me show her this?"

He threw the picture of the dead child onto the coffee table near where his father was able to view it. Despite how disturbing it was, the man needed to see again what caused Alexis such pain. He needed to see the pain he continued to cause.

- "No, she is NOT fine, you coward! How could she be after seeing the garbage you handed me? She's losing her… [ahem]… to put it quite mildly father, she is a wreck who now hates me for believing-"

Mikkos gaped at his son; of all things, he would have thought Stefan would doubt the file.

- "You believe it?"

Stefan stared at the man.

- "Father, you handed me a file containing the death certificates of a child whose name not only matched the birth certificate, but whose pictures were all identical to that taken at the time if that child's autopsy; what exactly were you expecting me to doubt when you specifically asked me to hand this file to Alexis? What did you want her to doubt? This is pretty damning information. Are you telling me that you doubt it?"

Mikkos did not know what to think of the information; he had given it to Stefan in the hopes that having spent some time with Samantha, he might be able to disprove the pictures. He had hoped that in seeing the image of the child in the picture, Alexis would... he did not know what she would do... he did not know his own niece... he did not even know himself anymore. He had done so much and yet so little all at once; much was expected of him, but he was not sure he could handle it all… not when going against _her._

- "I don't know, Stefan—"

The younger man found himself losing patience with his father; 'I don't know' was not a sufficient response in the situation. He needed definitive answers... he needed to give his cousin hope.

- "Why are you here?"

- "I'd like to hear the answer to that question."

Both men turned in their seats shocked to find Alexis standing in the living room holding the suspicious child in her arms.

* * *

Helena sat on the bathroom floor contemplating what needed to be done. She had done everything to protect her son and his memory: she had her father pretend that Stavros had visited him that horrible night, she begged Mikkos, to no avail, to force that tramp niece of his to abort the bastard child, she threatened the girl and the life of her child if she ever revealed the child's paternity... She did everything she thought possible to protect the man. And then a miracle happened.

_**Flashback**_

_She sat at the dining table staring at the empty seat that her son had once occupied. It had been a year since he had passed, but the pain in her heart had yet to diminish; the wound was as fresh as though she had just been stabbed in her heart... rather, stabbed where her heart had once been. Nothing she did in that year, be it planting beautiful flowers at his grave, providing him with the most extravagant tombstone beside his sister's equally adorned resting place, or simply spending nearly every waking hour there, reminding her sleeping boy how much she missed him, and how grateful she was to have known him, ever mended her shattered heart. There was nothing left to heal her... unless it meant returning him to her arms._

_Her father, in that year, continuously questioned whether she would have liked to see the child... a visit... a picture... something... but she always answered the same: "that monster is NOT my Stavros! She is the bastard of that bottomfeeding whore Mikkos took in; she is NOT his". While it was true the child was, in fact, the sole reminder she might have of her son and perhaps his spirit living on, but none of this mattered; she could never accept a child such as she... and not when her mere existence would not have occured but for such an inhumane act. She could not do it... not when the culprit was her son._

_She attempted to wipe the memory of the child from her mind and from any connection it might have to her son... her Stavros... her beloved, yet dead Stavros. Dead... dead... dead... It was a twist of fate that the man would perish but one month after the birth of his greatest shame. It was as though the Gods wanted to spare the child of an existence in a world with a man whose sole intention against its mother was to cause harm, rather than to show love. Death, and in the manner it had been done, was a punishment to him... but also to her, as his mother, for creating such a... monster._

_But she loved him... in life... in death... in every way possible for a mother to love her son. She loved him._

_- "Helena?"_

_She looked over to her husband, a man she barely tolerated, sitting across the long dining table. There was a time when she loved him unconditionally, when she worshipped the ground on which he walked, and when she longed to have his children. After years of silent dinners, love-making made more from obligation rather than love itself, and betrayals, that time had long passed._

_- "Yes?"_

_Despite the fact that they shared a bed with one another, he knew nothing about his wife. It had been decades since he knew her. Sitting across the table from him was a tired, hateful, and evil stranger... whom he still, to some extent, loved._

_- "I have some news of which I'm certain you might not care, but I suppose I should tell you anyway: the child Alexis—"_

_She slammed her silverware onto her plate. The life of one child already weighed on her mind; she did not need the memory of the death of her other to also occupy her thoughts._

_- "Don't you DARE use that name for that whore! I already told you that I will not accept you to replace my baby with THAT girl!"_

_Mikkos stood from his seat and walked to where his wife sat. He would have taken the seat to her right, but that was the place Stavros occupied everyday of his thirty years of his life. Instead, he took that of her life, the place Stefan or Alexis, was forced to take._

_- "I apologize. Alexandra-"_

_She nodded. She hated the name, as it was too similar, but she accepted it if it meant getting off the topic of that poseur._

_-. "What about that whor- her?"_

_He did not know how he would tell her what had happened, but he was not certain she would care. Nevertheless, he figured she should know; the child was, in fact, her granddaughter. _

_- "You recall the child she had?"_

_How could she forget?_

_- "And?"_

_Mikkos had decided it would be best that Alexis remain ignorant of this fact. She had been doing so well since giving the child up that he did not want to set her back; she was fnally on the correct path after all that she had endure in the past two years._

_- "It seems the baby has died."_

_Everything in the woman wanted to jump up and scream, grateful at the gift fate had handed her in the dead child, but she knew such a reaction would prove suspicious to her husband. As a result, she thought it best to remain calm and demure while rejoicing in her heart that the stain on her son's memory had been wiped clean._

_- "How... unfortunate. When and how did this occur?"_

_He observed her for a moment before daring to speak. At one point in their marriage she would have easily said that he knew his wife as well as he had known himself, but all that changed. Helena was not the woman he had married 32 years prior; she was... unrecognizable. Where she might have been someone he knew as an acquaintance prior to their son's death, he now lived with a stranger._

_- "The child and her parents perished in a house fire two nights ago."_

_She nodded solemnly. The thought of an infant dying was heart wrenching, but as she was no longer in possession of such an organ, she did not know how she should feel. While she rejoiced at her son's post-mortem victory, she, thinking of her Sofie, ached for the child's young soul. _

_- "And how have you come upon such information. I was under the impression that the child had been given up for adoption. I did not realize that in doing so, you were given updates and death notices."_

_- "I've been keeping tabs on the child."_

_She abruptly stood from her seat; she would have expected nothing less from her husband. He was always accepting, in his way, of the lowly creatures that seemed to make appearances in their lives. The child was clearly no exception. _

_- "Of course you were. Why don't you plan the bastards funeral? Bring ALEXIS with you."_

_She walked out of the room to call her father; she needed to speak with the only person, aside from Stavros, who ever put her first._

_**End of Flashback**_

But she was wrong, and she did not know what she would do about it… _her_… _them. _She needed to protect her son… much as he had done the same for her.

* * *

Sam, seeing a strange man she had never before seen, dressed in a suit with a brief case in hand, immediately hugged her mother tightly, gripping the woman's shirt and pressing her face into her neck. His appearance and formal attire resembled that of those gentlemen who occasionally visited the McCall household; Cody always told her they were there to steal her away and take her to a worse home than the one in which she was living. Mikkos' presence brought upon such renewed fears; and so, the little girl held onto her mother as tightly as she could.

- "Mommy, who's that?"

Continuing to stare at the man who allowed servants and, to a very large extent, Stefan to raise her while he stood aside as his wife and monstrous son beat and starve her, Alexis was repulsed; he disgusted her. In fact, his complacency towards such acts were the sole cause to Stavros having the nerve and arrogance to rape her the way he had. It was because of Mikkos' indifference that the man strutted about the house as though he were some God, calling her names in an attempt to make her feel as though she were some desperate, sex-crazes teen looking for him to violate her. Standing there before her cousin… uncle… holding her daughter in her arms, Alexis did not know if she should smack him and spit in his face for all he had done… and failed to do… or simply thank him for being a sorry excuse for a father and man whose poor example resulted in the creation of such a monster.

However, not wanting to show this man any gratitude or reprieve for his behavior, she swallowed the venom she felt filling her mouth and instead focused on her visibly frightened child.

- "Baby, it's okay; this is Cousin Stefan's daddy."

She quickly looked over to her cousin; he grimaced at the mention that Mikkos was his father. As far as the man was concerned, he was as much of an orphan as she was.

- "Can you say 'hi' to him, Chipmunk? So we don't seem rude?"

Sam, noting that whenever they did not want either her or Nikolas to understand their conversation, her mother and uncle spoke in another language; she decided to do the same. Still shielding her face from Mikkos' view, she bashfully lifted her head from Alexis' shoulder so that she could whisper in Greek into her ear.

- "He's not coming to take me away?"

Alexis, balancing the frightened girl with one arm (although realistically with the grip Sam had on her, she could have done well not holding her at all), wiped Sam's fallen tears before covering her face with kisses. Knowing it would ease her daughter's heart, she responded in the same language.

- "No baby, he's not. I promise you that. He's not taking you ANYWHERE. Okay? Mommy's got you, and she's not letting you go. - Now, how about you say 'hello' to him."

Although she felt reassured in Alexis' words, the six-year-old nevertheless continued to grip her mother's shirt. She once again placed her head onto the woman's shoulder, but allowed her eyes to move from her mother to the direction where Mikkos was seated.

- "Hi."

Mikkos, finally able to fully see the girl, the shape of her face, the resemblance she carried to both Alexis and Stavros, felt as though he had been punched in the gut. Staring into her deep brown eyes shaped like his late son's, his heart filled with guilt and grief over what he had done... and what he had allowed to occur. He made to approach his granddaughter and niece, however, he could see the little one shaking like a leaf. Instead, he remained in his place.

- "Hello—"

He found himself so shocked in her presence, the child's name left him. He had spent the month attempting to figure out how she had come to be in Alexis' keeping when his files stated such a presence was impossible; but, seeing the child with his own eyes, he too could see that something was wrong. Looking at his son and niece, it was evident that no one person in the room had the entire story, although he was certain he would not rest until he learned the truth.

- "Samantha-"

Stefan walked over to the two girls. He wrapped his arm around Alexis, giving Sam a kiss on the top of the head.

- "Do not be frightened, my raven; he's not here to harm you. Neither your mother nor I would allow it."

Sam nodded her head at her cousin; she knew he would never lie to her. She looked up at her mother.

- "Mommy, I'm still hungry."

- I'll have someone bring you up a sandwich."

Stefan immediately went to the phone to call room service, but Alexis smiled coldly at the man as she held up the aluminum pop-tart bag. She was still angry with him for his doubt of Sam's identity; she refused to allow him to use her and Sam's presence in the room to now ostracize his father. Yes, Stefan was a far better man and father than Mikkos, but the point would not be made at her, and certainly not at her daughter's, expense.

- "Sorry Cousin, but like her mother, my daughter likes poptarts. I'm just going to heat these up and we'll leave you and your father to whatever you're discussing."

He could sense her anger, but he would not allow her to reject him. Regardless of who Sam was or was not, he would always support her… them. Despite his doubts of the file's veracity, he simply did not want her to get her hopes up if in case it were true. His only concern was her happiness… their happiness.

- "Darling, if you wouldn't mind, this conversation involves you as well, perhaps you may want to consider remaining."

Not wanting Sam to understand her, Alexis immediately responded to the man in French.

- "Surely you don't think I'm going to have this ridiculous conversation about my child NOT being my child in front of my child. I would hope you'd find me to be a better mother than that. Wait… you don't believe me to be a mother; isn't that correct, Cousin?"

Her words stung him. They were not true.

- "No Alexis, that's not it at all. But please, just take care of Samantha and then speak with us. I believe Father has much to tell us."

Mikkos nodded his head.

- "Please Alexis, do not run off on my account; I would like very much to get to know your… Samantha."

She did not miss his hesitancy toward the girl.

- "She's my daughter. You can say it Mikkos because you and I both know that I don't believe a damn thing in your file that might indicate anything contrary to that."

He was taken aback by her attitude toward him as she had usually been quite respectful; however, she had previously proven that when it came to her child, she was quite ferocious. Standing before him was a mother willing to fight for what she knew was rightfully hers. He had a new level of respect for his… niece.

- "I apologize Alexis; I did not mean to upset you."

She glared at him.

- "You never do. You're an innocent after all; you don't do anything... wrong."

There was no arguing with her. She was right to be angry. So he continued in the hopes that she might soften toward him.

- "I see your daughter is very intelligent; she speaks and understands Greek quite well? It's not an easy language, but she's managed to pick it up rather easily. From my understanding, she's been raised here in the states with English as her only language?"

She sat Sam on the counter in the kitchen area, running her hands through the girl's hair as she stared suspiciously at her uncle.

- "I wouldn't exactly call what those people did to her as raising, but yes, she's lived in the States all of her life. We're… Stefan and I… are teaching her Greek. We alternate between who speaks to her entirely in the language so that she's speaking and hearing it all day long."

He nervously put his hands into his pockets as he looked from the child to Alexis. The little girl continued to hold onto her mother's shirt, resting her head onto her chest, afraid to look at him. Staring at Samantha, with her dark brown silky hair, and deep brown eyes, he could see it; he could see him… but he saw her, too.

- "She reminds me of you, Alexis."

She rubbed Sam's back with tears threatening to fill her eyes. Why would he tell her that a child who, in his files, was not who she believed her to be, reminded him of her? Could he be so cruel? Or did he simply know, as she did, that it could not possibly be true.

- "Why would you say that? Didn't you read the files you gave your son?"

- "I did, but… perhaps we should discuss everything at length when Samantha is not in the room?"

Sam, feeling her stomach begin to grumble, pulled away from her mother and took the pop-tart package from the counter.

- "Mommy—"

Alexis continued to stare at the man unaware that her daughter was seeking her attention. She needed to know his reasoning. She wanted to know why it seemed as though every member of his family was out to stab her in the heart and take everything she loved away from her: her childhood, her memories, her name, her daughter. They were determined to… make her miserable.

- "No, how can you tell me that she reminds you of me when you probably, just like Stefan, think that she isn't mine to begin with? I mean, I know that your files are filled with lies probably set-up by yourself or your wife to make me think she isn't mine because heaven FORBID your poor Stavros be considered anything BUT a Saint rotting in hell—"

Stefan decided to intercede... not on his father's behalf, but Sam's; this was not an appropriate conversation to have in front of the child. While she undoubtedly failed to comprehend the language, it was no secret that Sam was in tune with her mother's emotions. Stefan did not want her further involved in such a difficult situation.

- "Alexis, please—"

She shot him look.

- "No Stefan! I have a right—"

Having opened the package, Sam tapped her mother, as she held out the pastry.

- "Mommy, my pop-tarts! You won't let me touch the toaster; you have to them in there. Please?"

The young mother finally stopped speaking; she realized that she had left her daughter waiting for her snack.

- "I'm sorry, chipmunk."

She gave the child a kiss on the top of her head before putting the pastry into the toaster. She wanted to kick herself for neglecting the child just to have the last word against her cousin and uncle.

- "Um, do you think your tummy will be able to handle a little bit of milk?"

Stefan cleared his throat.

- "Perhaps we should give her some tea."

Unfortunately, the sound of Stefan's voice turned her blood cold; she, once again, glared at the man. But for the fact that Mikkos was in the hotel room holding the possible answers to this nightmare, she would have packed her bags and her daughter, and returned to her apartment. She was still frightened of Stavros, but his presence was actually a comfort to her; his constant taunting reassured her that Sam was hers and hers alone. While she loved Stefan, she could not bear to look at him, not when he doubted her daughter; he betrayed her.

- "WE aren't getting anything for her, Stefan; you're relieved of your duties to us both. I don't want you spending your Cassadine money on a child who isn't even your family. God, now that I know that I'm part of this miserable family instead of a charity case waif, I'm even more disgusted. I ALMOST wish that you were right simply because then her veins wouldn't be polluted by the likes of you all. But then I look at her, and I hold her in my arms, and I'm like, 'to hell with you all!' If I throw her away like you have, then all of the hell and torture she and I were put through because of you—"

She turned to her Uncle.

- "—_Mikkos_, would have been for nothing. I would NEVER do that to my baby… or my family."

Sam looked up at her mother. She could not understand any of what had been said, but she knew from the heaviness of the room, it was not a pleasant conversation. Knowing how upset the woman had been throughout the weeks, the child had a sudden sense of protectiveness.

- "I wanna go home, Mommy. They're making you sad; I don't want to stay here anymore."

Not wanting to frighten the girl with his presence, Mikkos slowly approached the counter.

- "Samantha?"

Hearing him approach, Sam reached up to her mother.

- "Mommy—"

Alexis complied, but put her down onto the floor.

- "Baby, I can't carry you and hold the pop-tarts and your drink. Stay beside Mommy, but remember I already told you that he's not going to hurt you, okay?"

Sam nodded her head, but nevertheless held onto her mother's shorts as she stared at Mikkos who stood at the counter watching her. She positioned herself behind the young woman, hiding her face in her leg.

- "Please? Can we go?"

Putting the freshly toasted pastry onto a plate, Alexis took Sam's gripped hand from her pants and knelt to her eye level.

- "Sweetheart, I'd love to go back home, believe me I would, but I don't think it's good for either one of us right now. You have nightmares there, remember? And Mommy… you know how Mommy can get there. It's not good for us."

The little girl looked at the stranger, but narrowed her eyes at her beloved Cousin Stefan. She was furious with the man for clearly upsetting her mother; that was not how she should have ever been treated… especially by him.

- "But they're not being nice to you. I wanna go… please?"

Seeing the tears roll down her daughter's cheeks, Alexis brought the girl into a hug, ignoring the two… three, if Stavros were to be included… pairs of eyes that were on her, watching her every action towards the girl.

- "Don't worry, chipmunk. It's an adult conversation we're having that we should probably not have in front of you."

Not understanding her mother's hesitance, the feisty child pulled away from her embrace and immediately stomped her foot in agitation.

- "I still wanna GO!"

Alexis pointed a threatening finger at her six year old; her behavior, regardless of the circumstance, was unacceptable.

- "Hey, you don't stomp your foot at Mommy, Samantha; you know better than that. That behavior is unacceptable."

The child lowered her head in shame.

- "I'm sorry, Mommy."

Alexis lifted Sam's chin so that she could look at her.

- "It's okay, chipmunk. Remember what we spoke about before in the room? We have to stay here for a little while. I know that you don't like it, but Mommy knows what's best for us, okay?"

Sam nodded. She once again looked over to where Stefan stood. Seeing his smile to her, she furrowed her eyebrows as she pouted and whispered into her mother's ear.

- "I don't like Cousin Stefan anymore."

Alexis shook her head. She held Sam's face in her hands.

- "Chipmunk, you don't mean that. You love Cousin Stefan VERY much… I do too. Sometimes, honey, the people you love don't always make you happy, but that doesn't mean that you stop loving or liking them. It just means that the particular thing they've done, you're not happy with… and that's okay because you're entitled to your feelings. But baby, Stefan is our family, regardless of anything he might have said, or have done, he's ours; we like AND love him… always."

She made her comment for not only Sam, but for him as well; as furious as she was at him, she loved him… perhaps more than she should have given her current situation. Before Sam and Nikolas came to be, he was her world; she could not easily throw him away… regardless of what he mistakenly believed. She could never stop loving someone who meant so much to her… there were too few people like him in her life.

She looked up at the man who attempted to shield the fact that his eyes had begun to well with tears at the very idea that she would reject him. Her feelings were returned tenfold. Alexis, aside from Nikolas and Sam, were his family; her harsh words for him left him lost.

- "We love him, chipmunk."

And with those words, he was found. He slowly approached the two, praying that he would not be turned away.

- "And I love you… both… always."

He was not.

Holding Sam's hand, Alexis stood up to face her beloved cousin. She put her hand on his cheek and stared into his dark green eyes; she could read him like a book… the happiness, the pain… the sorrow. She had caused the latter; it broke her heart.

- "Stefan—"

He put his finger to her lips.

- "I'm sorry. You must know that I would ALWAYS put you and the children first… no matter what. I meant no harm… I… it… I don't want you to be harmed any further by the lies and deceit of this family. That was and continues to be my main priority, Alexis. I'm not out to hurt you or _your daughter_; I could never do such a thing. I want to help you, but darling, I can only do so if you help yourself. Do not be afraid of what might lay ahead; you've already faced the beast."

Lifting Sam into her arms, she stood with her cousin.

- "I hope I have."

She let her eyes wander to Mikkos who stood awkwardly aside watching their exchange. It was evident that this man, whose blood ran through their veins, had no family. He was an interloper… and he knew it.


	21. Time and Space

This chapter has taken me about a month to write as it is _**INCREDIBLY INTENSE. **_ You have been warned.

Please leave _**actual reviews**_, as detailed as you can muster of your thoughts. It would be greatly appreciated (minimum of **10**).

**RATED M.**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Time and Space**

Mikkos stared at Alexis, Stefan, and the sleeping Sam. He would have liked to go back into the past and return the beautiful newborn to his niece's arms. He would have truly seen that she had loved her. He would have trusted that in spite of how she had lived in his home, Alexis knew how to love her baby. He would have believed her when she proclaimed her love for her baby. Witnessing the gentleness in her touch and the love evident in the way in which she spoke to the child and the way Sam responded to her, his heart overfilled with regret. He knew it might not mean much to her, but he would do anything to protect them.

- "You're very good with her."

Seated beside Stefan on the couch, with a sleeping Sam resting her head on the pillow on her lap, Alexis nodded to her Uncle. Despite how upset she was with him, she appreciated the compliment; it was perhaps the only she had ever received from the man.

- "Well, she makes it easy. She's a wonderful little girl."

He nodded in agreement. He clearly did not know anything about the child aside from what he read in the filed, and quickly refuted upon sight, but even he knew what a ray of light she was. He noticed the secret smiles she snuck to her mother as she slowly ate her pop-tart while seated on the woman's lap. She even put a smile to his face when she broke a piece of her meal to share with Alexis. It was apparent to him, who only knew her for such a short while, that she was as her mother claimed her to be.

- "I can see how much she loves you… both. She's very attached to you."

Without truly meaning to, she smiled at the man as he continued to speak kindly of the best part of her. She could not help herself; any discussion of the girl brought a smile to her face.

- "Yes, she's actually emotionally… traumatized… right now; she can't handle having me out of her sight for longer than a few minutes. I'm rarely without her or not in the same room with her. Actually—"

Alexis, feeling Stefan's hand over hers, turned to her cousin. She smiled at the man who provided both Sam and her a sense of comfort and security. Even in his silence, she could read his mind and feel the mutual desire for a creation of a safe house for them and their children away from the Cassadine influence. They were connected.

- "—she loves Stefan. If need be, and with much assurance, she'll stay with him so I can have a few moments to myself. She actually spent the day with him so that I could get some rest. He's really great with her; Sam loves spending time with him."

Stefan gave her hand a squeeze.

- "After much cajoling, that is; it's her mother, Samantha adores… and Nikolas, of course; they're very close. Me? I'm merely part of the packaged deal."

Mikkos stared at the two… Alexis and Stefan; it was quite the family the two had formed with one another. When one standing on the outside of the family's gate observed the relationship, it was normal: two cousins raised together from childhood would naturally forge a close bon and perhaps later raise their children together. However, when one who lived with the two actually witnessed their verbal and emotional mistreatment by their aunt, albeit by marriage, and mother, respectively, the physical abuse inflicted upon them by their cousin and brother, respectively, and finally the absolute… disinterest… he, Mikkos Cassadine, the family patriarch, had in them, their connection made even more sense. On whom were they supposed to lean, if not on one another? When one, with inner knowledge of the Cassadine family, apart from the façade displayed for the public viewed the utter dysfunction that existed in the palatial and enviable structure that was their _home_, it was no wonder that the two ostracized children would find solace in one another; they were, in fact, unloved.

- "I'm sure she loves her Uncle Stefan. I am truly sorry that she's suffering as she is; it must be uncomfortable for you, Alexis."

She took her eyes from Stefan and shifted her gaze back to her uncle.

- "What do you mean?"

He was unsure how he should respond to her, as he did not want to offend her; his words, as few as they might have been, typically had such an effect.

- "I mean that she must need quite a bit of attention. You live in a small one bedroom, one and a half bath apartment; she must infringe upon your privacy—"

She glared at the man who, in the name of preserving his own... _privacy_... deprived her of her identity, and memories of her parents and the life she had had with them before they died. He had no right to speak to her about the child she had begged him to allow her to keep. He had no place to comment on her daughter whom he was to ensure received a better life than he had given her. He was supposed to protect her baby; instead, she was raised in a home of filth, liquor, and beatings. Sam infringed upon nothing, but her mother's lonely and secluded life; Alexis welcomed her with open arms.

- "Unlike you, Mikkos, I'm not dismissive of my child; Sam and I have a relationship with one another. I am not raising her in the cold and insular environment that Stefan and I endured, where she would live in fear that if she stepped in the wrong direction she would be beaten or starved. My daughter knows that she is loved and that she will, no matter what, always be taken care of and fed. She is bathed, fed, spoken to, told that she is loved, held, comforted, and anything else that would ease her heart. If it means that I have to give up my bed, a few drawers, closet and living space, or privacy of any kind, I gladly do it because my kid is _terrified_ of… of… _LIFE_, Mikkos. She truly is. She is so scared she—"

In order to preserve her daughter's esteem, Alexis continued on in Russian knowing that even if she were to awake, Sam would not understand that she were being spoken about, especially concerning something that embarrassed her so deeply

- "—she wets the bed when she realizes I'm not beside her, or when she's dreamt that she's been taken from me, or I from her. She has horrible nightmares almost every night. She cries if I'm out of her sight for more than a few minutes, follows me about as though were still attached by the umbilical cord, and she holds onto me, as you might have witnessed, like a leech, when she's uncomfortable. I mean, do you see her right now? Her face is buried so deeply into my stomach that I have to continuously check to make sure she's breathing."

Seeing tears roll down her cheeks as she spoke about the fears harbored in such a tiny body belonging to Samantha, with his handkerchief in hand, he leaned forward to hand it to her.

- "I didn't mean—"

She shook her head. She did not want his handkerchief. She has no desire to dry her tears to ease his discomfort and shame for all he had caused. He needed to know the pain that befell her daughter from the moment she was handed to the McCalls and the continued trauma she suffered because of it. He would never grasp the strength it took in her to not breakdown alongside her daughter as she cried herself back to sleep in the middle of the night after yet another nightmare. He would never realize the pain he had caused them both because of everything he had done and failed to do. He would never understand… and despite all of this, she could not hold it in any longer. She had to continue so that he would _know._

- "My daughter is fragile and I gladly do whatever it takes to keep her whole. That's what a parent… a _good _parent does for his or her child. It doesn't matter how I feel. If she's upset, scared, or sad, and there's something I can do about it, but I won't just because it inconveniences me, I've failed her; I can't… _won't_… do that. I love her too much to _ever_ do that. Sam does NOT infringe upon anything, Mikkos, because I willingly give her what she needs."

He, not knowing what else he could say in the matter, simply nodded his head. He knew all that she had stated was a stab at him for all that he had failed to do for not only her, but also for Stefan. As she spoke to him in a tone that he had never before heard uttered from her lips, Mikkos, although sitting on the other side of the coffee table, felt as though they were separated by a great divide. In the same way that Stefan had been her shield, it seemed to the older man, that Alexis was now returning the favor before his culprit. He was their enemy, who unbeknownst to them, had arrived to save and protect them.

- "I see."

She narrowed her eyes at the man for a moment, hating the fact that in spite of all that had transpired he remained a man of few words.

- "Now, can we get off of this subject and onto the one where you tell me what the hell you did with my baby after you ripped her from my arms?"

Stavros, dressed as dapperly as he had been _that_ night, sat across from her. He held a cigar in one hand, while taking a sip from the glass of scotch he held in the other. Taking a moment to revel in the taste of the expensive liquor, he shook his head.

_- "You're asking the wrong question, my dear."_

She stared at him hoping that his father would not notice the way she held her breath in his, Stavros', presence.

- "What?"

He took yet another sip before responding with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

_- "You're asking the WRONG question, Natasha. You're focused on you and me, when you should be focusing on yourself and what you are… and how that connects… US."_

Seeing as she gazed at the empty chair across from her, Mikkos saw that her attention had shifted from both Stefan and him. He stared at her for a moment, noticing the color drain from her face as the fear glossed over her dark eyes; it was as though she had seen a ghost. He once again leaned forward; instead of offering her his handkerchief, he lightly tapped her knee, causing her to jump.

- "Are you alright, Alexis?"

Glancing quickly to the now empty seat where Stavros had been seated, she looked down and kissed her sleeping daughter's hand; she was grateful that her sudden movement had not awoken her. She brought her attention back to her uncle who continued to stare curiously at her.

- "I'm fine… just tired—"

Mikkos interrupted her.

- "Perhaps we should continue this conversation tomorrow?"

Stavros now stood behind the man, bending so that he could whisper directly into his father's ear. It was not as though Mikkos could even hear him, but it was not for his benefit he spoke… it was for hers. Of course the man would have liked to prolong the revelation of a secret he had spent decades hiding; it would only made him look guiltier.

_- "Coward."_

Alexis stared at Mikkos knowing that Stavros was right; he was a coward. He spent years keeping her entire life from her and now, he wanted another day, night, or hour. She sighed as she shook her head; she would not give him another minute.

- "No, it's okay… I need to know."

Feeling her sweaty palm connected to his, Stefan sensed the change in his cousin; he could tell that Stavros was somewhere in the room taunting her. He could feel the slight shiver run throughout her body as she attempted to fight the need to run from the room and hide in a steam-filled bathroom under a scalding shower. He needed to protect her. He needed to save her from… herself.

He leaned toward her, pressing his forehead against her temple, whispering so close that his lips nearly touched her ear.

- "Alexis, you don't have to do this tonight; we can wait until tomorrow. If you need to take a—"

She shook her head. She looked down at her daughter who, in spite of being so close to her, nevertheless held onto the bottom of her shirt. Even she, in her slumber, could sense that with any false move, Mikkos could whisk her away from her home… her mother. Alexis could not allow that to happen. She needed to hear what Mikkos had to say. She would remain strong as she did so.

Wiping the stray tears that continued to roll down her cheeks, she looked her cousin into his green eyes, his mother's eyes in color only, hoping he might hear her.

- "I said I'm fine, Stefan. _I'm fine_."

She gave him a pleading look, begging him to refrain from pushing her any further.

- "Please—"

Seeing him nod, she turned back to her uncle. Staring directly at Stavros as he anxiously awaited her response, she continued.

- "Mikkos, please tell me what happened to my daughter. What happened to Sam?"

Noticing his father staring at him for approval of whether or not he should answer, Stefan once again apprehensively nodded. He was not certain he should, but he also knew that Alexis would not heal unless she were told the truth. He had spent weeks watching as she slid down a slippery slop of despair over the dark past returning to reclaim her. He had him firm to her, but he could sense that he was losing his grip; the file filled with… _something_ concerning his niece, was a devastating blow. He knew this discussion might be the final one that would completely destroy his cousin. He could not imagine the adverse impact it might have on her, but she did not care; she needed to know, in that very moment. He could not stand in her way. If need be, he would catch he if she fell.

- "Yes Father, please tell us what happened to Samantha."

Staring at the two, he did not know where to begin. There was no real way to explain such a circumstance to two people who hated him the way they did. Where could he begin? How could he tell Alexis… Natasha… that he had taken more from her than she even realized?

- "Alexis, what do you remember about your parents… your father?"

She stared at her uncle in confusion; she did not remember anything about her father. Thinking of the lies that had been told to her, how could she know anything about a man whose name she had only recently learned? She closed her eyes as she tried to think. Mikkos had lied to her the moment he… NO… no, he had told her the truth… _'I am your Uncle.' _ That's what he had said. And then… and then somewhere along the line, between the time in which she had cried her heart out in the hospital room not knowing who she was and where her parents were, and when she and Mikkos entered the dark and dreary estate in Greece, he transformed into her cousin; her parents were long gone and never to be spoken of again. Aside from the recent flashes of her happy life with her mother and father, she did not remember the man. How could she?

- "I… I… don't—"

She attempted to rack her brain for something that might clue her into what her uncle was or might have been looking for as a response, but she could not; there was nothing there.

- "What does he have to do with anything?"

Stavros walked about the room in clear agitation with her; everything she needed to know was in her hands, he had given it to her, but she continued to run from it. It was infuriating. He came to a stop right behind the sofa where she sat with the child and his brother.

_- "Why are you not listening to him? You must listen."_

Mikkos thought for a moment; he wanted to phrase his words in a way that would not cause her to shut down from him. He knew that the years in which he had shielded her, and everyone else he… he loved… grew to love… from pain, had had an opposite effect. He had not meant any harm; he simply meant for his family to move on from the horribleness that life had mistakenly given them. He only wanted to… protect them… in the only way he had known how.

- "Because your life changed the moment I took you in … and I… I should have realized it then. I should have known… and I should have done something more about it before… before it was too late."

Stavros watched her reaction to his father's words knowing that she was not listening. He could tell in her glassy eyes, and the way she continued to cradle the child close to her, shielding her from… from… _herself_ that she was creating a new web of lies that she could spin for her when she grew older to shield her from what she actually was. But, even in death, he would have no part in this elaborate cover up. It was time the mirrors were uncovered. It was time they were all made to look at themselves for who and what they were.

_- "LISTEN!"_

He slammed his hands on top of the console table causing her to once again jump.

_- "You HAVE to listen."_

She shook her head. She whispered softly to herself hoping that neither Stefan nor Mikkos would notice that she had truly lost her mind and had begun responding aloud, in their presence, to a dead man whose living existence was only a figment of her twisted imagination.

- "No, I need to know what happened to Sam!"

Mikkos felt his heart beating hard in his chest. He had hoped he would never have to disturb the dead or reopen the past. By refraining from any discussion of the matters that harmed their hearts, he had believed that he was teach them to conquer it all. He had thought he was teaching them to become the conquerors, rather than the conquered, and the predators, rather than the prey; instead he had weakened them. He had allowed the past to eat away at the core of his family until all that remained was an empty and dark hold waiting to swallow them up.

- "It has _EVERYTHING to do with Samantha."_

For the very first time, a second person appeared; it was the man from her locket. It was her father, a man about whom she had created stories as a lonely child longing for some form of parental connection. He stood before her as vivid as the final time she could recall seeing him standing at the foot of the stairs, watching as she and her mother descended in their matching red dresses.

_- "You're so beautiful."_

- "How—"

Staring at the young woman who looked so much like his brother the day he had banished him from his life, Mikkos, mistook the her soft, yet audible, comments as responses to what he had said.

- "Your father loved you so much, Alexis."

_- "I do love you… I never stopped."_

Andreus slowly approached her, careful not to frighten his little girl.

_- "Natty, you already know the truth. You've known it for a long time… but you won't accept it! You've seen it… felt it… cried because of it. Now you must accept it! Don't hide from it, my baby girl. Accept it."_

She wiped the tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. It was him. It was her father, the man she had begun to slowly remember. The man she had wished had been in her life, protecting her from the pain of her childhood since losing him. He, in the four short years that she had known him, had been her hero; and there he was standing in front of her… _rescuing_ her.

- "Daddy—"

Mikkos nodded his head as he watched Stefan gently wiped her tears. It seemed that she was remembering the man he had once considered his best friend. He and Andreus had been ten years apart. From the moment he had been born, Mikkos took his younger brother under his wing, teaching him everything he knew about life, money, and love, and protected him from anything that might have caused him the least bit of pain. His brother meant everything to him.

- "He asked me to care for you… and I suppose… I… I… _know _I failed him."

Andreus knelt in front of her looking more handsome than she could have ever imagined… and yet quite familiar; she felt as though she had been staring at him all of her life.

- "I… I can't! I don't want… you're… perfect."

He looked down at the sleeping child whose face remained partially concealed; he could tell that she was beautiful. It only took looking at her mother, his daughter, to make such an assessment.

_- "No, I'm not, darling."_

He gently kissed Alexis on the forehead, for the first time in eighteen years.

_- "Listen to me; if you want to fully let this beautiful bird into your heart, you must open all the doors and windows to it. Let her fly through the dense trees of the forest and into your arms. It's hard, I know, but you have to stop hiding, Natty. Let her find you."_

She held his hand to her cheek, allowing more memories to fill within her as the tears hit his hand one by one until they became a single stream flowing from her. She missed him… not the idea of him… but _him_. But, staring into his eyes, she saw a darkness that she had thought characteristic of only those in whose home she had lived. It was a look she had never seen in the picture she kept close to her heart. She grew frightened of what she might learn if she listened to her uncle… and, of what she had already known, but could not bring herself to accept. Feeling him and the resurfacing of a terrible pain, worse than she had ever known, she was afraid of what lay beneath the house of cards that had been built for her… But the fear was not great enough to stop her from realizing all that she felt about the man she saw before her and all that she had deduced in the four years that she had known him: he was her father. He was her father, and that was all that mattered.

- "I love you, Daddy."

And she was his daughter. She finally belonged somewhere.

_- "And I love you, my Natty."_

Mikkos took a breath before speaking. He assumed Alexis was bracing herself as held her own breath. In reality, however, she knew the moment she released it, her father would be gone from her; she did not want to lose him all over again. And so she held it.

- "There's something you need to know."

She closed her eyes as she once again felt her father's lips against her forehead. The tears continued to flow as she realized that despite her efforts, he was leaving.

_- "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." _

Her heart was breaking.

- "Alexis."

She felt a shaking of her arm. She knew that it was Stefan shaking her back into reality, but she was reluctant to return; she wanted to remain in a time and space where this man recognized her as his, and Sam as hers, forever… even if all that meant Stavros would continue to haunt her. She wanted her father to care for her as his princess, her mother to hold her close as she did with Sam, and her daughter to continue to love and cherish in spite of the way she had come into being. She wanted the life that she should have had all along. She did not want this jigsaw puzzle of irregular pieces to disassemble and reassemble into Mikkos' version of the truth. It was not her life… not the life she and Sam deserved… but she had to nonetheless accept it.

- "Bye Daddy."

She opened her tear-filled eyes to look at her cousin whose own eyes were filled with concern for her; it was as though she were still… dreaming… daydreaming… hallucinating.

- "I'm sorry?"

Stefan reached for her face so that he could once again gently wipe the tears that had rolled down her cheeks; it seemed they would never stop. His cousin would cry lakes, rivers, and oceans before they would stop.

- "Darling, are you sure you're alright?"

She let out a sigh in agitation. She knew he could blindly see what she clearly had seen in Stavros and perhaps her father, yet she still attempted to elude him of the implosion of memories occurring within her. She had to fight to keep it all together.

- "Stefan, my goodness, I told you that I'm fine! Please stop—"

Stavros, who had remained silent in the corner as her father comforted her, chuckled mockingly at the tears she shed for him.

_- "You remember, don't you? It's not little glimpses anymore, right? You remember it all… that night?"_

And with that, she felt, even with Sam asleep in her arms and he across the room, his hot, liquored breath against her skin. She could smell the cologne he had worn _that_ night, stinging her nostrils. She wanted to vomit.

_- "Come on, talk to me."_

She felt his cold finger run across the nape of her neck; it sent chills down her spine. _'Why are you crying, Alexandra?' _She had spent weeks listening to him taunt her about the love she should not have for her daughter, having him touch her in the worst of ways all over again, but this time, in his various states of decomposition, and finally that evening, watching as he taunted her with a dead child in his arms. _'Where do you think you're going?' _She felt the room spinning around her as the memories of that night continued to fill her thoughts.

- "Please… don't—"

He gently kissed her neck while Stefan continued to wipe her tears and speak softly to her.

- "Alexis, it's alright. We don't have to do this tonight."

She could feel his fingers through her hair, rubbing gently at her temples, massaging them.

_- "I'm only here because you want me to be, Alexis. You didn't want to learn the truth from a man who has lied to you since day one! Instead, you wanted ME because I've NEVER lied to you, have I? I told you the truth! I told you EVERYTHING, but you… you blocked it out. But I'm here to help you again, my dear. I'm here for you… AND our baby."_

This evening was different. This time, he wanted to harm her, rape her, and scar her in their presence. He wanted Mikkos and Stefan to watch as he broke her into a million unidentifiable pieces simply for the pleasure of knowing he could. He would bring his family to their knees.

- "My… my… Sam—"

He smiled widely; she caught his final words.

_- "See, I'm generous, Alexis! I've told you what you wanted to hear about this child, I've made her ours. Now, it's time you do what I've wanted of you. It's time you learn why that child is poison and not worth your time. Why she would be better off… dead. It's time you learn who YOU are because but for you and your pathetic existence, that child would not exist."_

Alexis felt her skin begin to crawl to the intensifying memories he caused to reemerge. She knew she needed to get out of the room quickly. She could not allow Mikkos to witness what was becoming of her because of what he had done to her and his family.

- "I… we… we need to… leave—"

Mikkos, seeing sweat begin to cover her ashen skin, quickly ran into the kitchen area to retrieve her a bottle of water.

- "Stefan, perhaps you should take—"

But the younger man needed no instruction on how to care for _his_ family. Knowing the look of destruction in his cousin's appearance, he had already stood calmly and reached for the sleeping child.

- "Darling, why don't you allow me to put Samantha to bed?"

She, despite the fear Stavros had put into her of what he was prepared to do to her, could not bear to release Sam. She needed her daughter close. She needed the one good thing that came out of something so horrible by her side. She could not let her go… not again.

- "Um…"

Mikkos returned with the drink, but Alexis made no effort to take it; she stared only in her daughter's face as she attempted to once again block out the muffled cries of agony she had released the day she was conceived.

- "Alexis, Samantha might be—"

Stefan shook his head at his father; he had no right to presume anything about Alexis or her daughter.

- "Darling—"

He bent toward her knowing that Sam would be frightened to see the woman as she was. He once again reached for her, but Alexis held her firm to herself.

- "She'll be fine, darling; I'll simply put her down with Nikolas. Where is her bear? Hmm? Where is Danny?"

Recalling the morning's bedwetting incident, she slowly shook her head; she did not want her daughter embarrassed if she were to once again awaken from fright.

- "I think it best if I put her down in our room... I think she'll be more comfortable… all of our things are in there."

Stefan was not certain her actions wise, but he knew that in spite of her pain, Alexis always put Sam first.

- "Are you sure?"

She sadly looked him in the eyes, afraid to lose him.

- "Yes… but… can you—"

Knowing what she was asking of him, he immediately nodded.

- "Of course I can come with you."

Although feeling as though the world were spinning around her, she composed herself enough to carefully stand and lift her sleeping daughter into her arms; the girl immediately buried her face into her mother's neck and clung to her shirt. Mikkos noticed the act.

- "She knows it's you."

Stavros stood by bedroom door with a wide smile on his face.

_- "It is you. Everything is about you, Alexis."_

She nodded before quietly leaving the room.

* * *

"_I'm pregnant."_ She held the bar of soap so tightly into her hands that it appeared it might melt to her touch. She let the scalding water hit her as she scrubbed her body in the shower. With every drop of water that hit the top of her head, she felt as though her head might explode with the thoughts swirling within it. _"That's… wonderful." _ It was like a slow and agonizing death for the woman as she had long ago allowed… _forced_… such memories to be forgotten. _"No, it isn't, Mikkos. I can't do it again… I won't! I won't have another child… certainly not this—"_ She had placed them onto a high dusty shelf in the back of her mind with the unwanted _gifts_ she had received at various points in her life; in doing so, she had hoped that they would never to be discovered or resurface in anyway. _"You will! It'll be our child. Stavros needs someone to play with, Helena. It's not normal for a young boy to spend all his time with his mother."_ Unfortunately, one such trinket, a cheap one, that she had believed had broken soon after it came into being, had merely been sold at a thrift sale. _"Don't you DARE talk about what is and is not normal for Stavros! He is MY son! I will dictate what's right and is not right for him. This child is not… and you know it, Mikkos! I don't want it." _And now, while the buyer rested her filthy head on the pillow of her suite couch, the trinket found its way back onto her already burdened shelf… _"Regardless of anything, Layna—"…_ breaking it.

She looked down at the bar of soap that had slipped from her hands and onto the shower floor dissolving away in the heat of the water. _"Don't you dare say it—"_ As she bent to pick it up, she wondered why everything in her life did not simply melt away as easily. _"—the child is an innocent."_

_**Flashback**_

_Holding her son's hand, she stepped off the plane and walked confidently toward the gate's entrance where her father stood waiting for her. She had called him the night before telling him that she had had enough; she was leaving her husband and that child she had had but a month earlier. Although she could tell that he was not pleased with her decision, she also knew that he would never turn her down; he knew the toll her pregnancy had taken on her. _

_She had hated every minute of it. In fact, for every morning she awoke with the child still moving about within her, she wished it dead. She had hoped that like her precious Sofie, one morning she would be rushed to the hospital only to be told that she had lost yet another baby… except this time, she would not shed a tear. She would not cry for a child she had begged her husband to allow her abort. She would not cry for a child whose very existence would continue to remind her what was wrong with her marriage and the man her husband had become. _

_- "Do you see him, Stavvy? Do you see Grandfather Cristoff?"_

_The little boy nodded his head as they walked down the corridor toward the man._

_- "I see him, Mama."_

_But, it did not work out that way… things never worked out the way that she would have liked. Instead, he was born healthy with ten fingers and ten toes, light eyes that would undoubtedly take the green color of hers, and dark brown hair that appeared lighter than that of the silky black hair that was on her Stavros' head. She was able to admit that the child was beautiful, but she wanted nothing to do with it. She did not want to look at him, hold him, and certainly nurse him. She wanted nothing to do with it. He was to belong to her husband and she could not spend another night in that house._

_- "Papa—"_

_Upon reaching the handsome gentleman, she wanted to throw herself into his arms and never let go, but she could not. She was a married woman with a child to look after; she needed to be a good example for her young son. And so she stood solemnly holding the boy's hand in her own; she longingly smiled at the man in whom she trusted her life._

_- "Thank you for allowing me to return."_

_Cristoff pulled the woman into his arms and gave his daughter a kiss on either cheek. He had never seen his daughter look as run-down and haggardly as she did in that moment. He knew the pregnancy had been long and difficult, but it had clearly taken its toll on her; this was not his Helly._

_- "I'm worried about you, darling. I could not very well refuse you when I can see how much pain you are in."_

_He wanted to remind her that his allowance of her return to him was not permanent, but merely temporary so that she could heal, however he knew it was neither the time nor the place for such a reminder. She needed him to be there for her as her father, not as her timekeeper. He gently passed his hand along her cheekbone hoping to see some glimmer of the strong and ferocious daughter he had raised and always known. This shell of a woman broken into pieces by her husband's selfishness, ego, and pride was not the same person he had proudly walked down the aisle some years prior. She had disappeared and he was willing to fight to have her returned to him._

_- "How was the flight? It wasn't too difficult with this little one, was it?"_

_Helena bent to kiss her son on the cheek. He was the glue that kept her together during such a difficult period in her life. Although she knew she should not rely on the three year old, she did. He spent every waking hour by her side, assuring her, just in his presence, of a time when her husband was not such a stranger to her, but a man who would have walked through heaven and hell just to spare her a moment's grief. It seemed that somewhere along the way, he left her in hell to fend for herself._

_- "Oh Papa! Stavvy was wonderful, as usual. Isn't that right, darling?"_

_Cristoff looked down at the tall three year old standing beside her. He could tell that the boy, with his already exhibited air of superiority, was watching his every move. Stavros, tightly holding his mother's hand while keeping the other balled into a fist at his side, was prepared to strike his grandfather if he caused a single tear to be shed from his mother's eyes. Looking at the child, the man could tell that he had witnessed more of Helena's pain and sorrow than he should have; it appeared to be quite the cross the young boy bore on his shoulders._

_- "Hello Stavros."_

_Although, he would have liked to embrace his grandson, Cristoff did not trust the child's calm demeanor; he was known for his temper. His daughter had told him about times in the recent past in which the boy attacked his father after he had had an argument with her. He had displayed a level of anger issues that Cristoff was certain would lead to trouble as he grew older if it was not curbed. He had attempted on numerous occasions to inform his daughter of this fact, but the woman continued to evade the truth; she saw him only as her young prince, capable of doing no wrong. The man, in viewing the child before him, knew different. As a result, rather than risk harm to himself whereas he would have disciplined his grandson appropriately in front of his mother, the man patted Stavros on the head as he would have done an animal on the street._

_- "You've grown so much since I last saw you, Stavros. You look like quite the young gentleman. Are you taking good care of your mama?"_

_The boy eyed his grandfather from top to bottom before looking to his mother for assurance that, unlike his father, this man would not cause her heartache. Upon an assuring, he turned his attention back to the man._

_- "Yes, Grandfather."_

_For a child of such a tender age, Stavros was well-developed. He looked, at three years old, like a child of five, but spoke like one of six. Already reading, he fluently understood and spoke Greek and Russian. Great things were expected of such a gifted young boy. _

_- "That's a good boy."_

_Helena was quite proud of her son whom everyone, due to his prematurity at birth, believed would be delayed. She had known better; attention and love was all he had needed. _

_- "My little prince is, as always, an absolute treasure, Father. He's wonderful with his mama."_

_With the handsome smile he had inherited from his grandfather, the boy looked at his mother. He had sensed a change in her demeanor from the moment they had stepped off the plane. Unlike her recent behavior, she was happy and smiling, something he could not remember her doing in some time. It was clear to him, even at his tender age, that such a change in temperament was attributable to the distance from his father and the new baby toward whom he had previously felt jealousy. If this were to be the reaction in his mother from being with her father, the boy knew it best that they remained where they were._

_- "Are we going to be living with you Grandfather?"_

_Cristoff, feeling a twinge of guilt at knowing he would not give the boy an affirmative answer, knelt before the child so that he might stare into his beautiful eyes. _

_- "Well—"_

_However, his daughter intervened. With tears in her eyes, she looked at her father as he had hesitated to speak; she knew, even if he did not say otherwise, that he would and could not keep her. Despite whatever anger she felt towards her husband, he would have her return; if not for Mikkos, but for the child she left behind. As much as she would have liked to abandon them both, he could not enable such an act; she was a grown woman with a family of her own. Regardless of how much he would have loved to intercede on her behalf, she had to fight her own battles. Knowing this, she turned the boy away from his grandfather so that she could be his mother._

_- "Stavvy, my love, no. You and Mama are only here for… for… a little while."_

_And her heart broke with every syllable uttered from her lips. _

_**End of Flashback**_

Helena, freshly showered, made-up and dressed in the black and red suit she wore to her son's funeral six years prior, stood at the couch gazing at the woman whose greed had contributed to her current predicament.

- "Evelyn."

The woman drunkard who, in the six weeks she had spent in prison had learned to sleep lightly, immediately awakened at the sound of her name. She looked at the clock; it read 2:57a. She scowled at her dressed sister who now walked about the room turning on the lights.

- "I could've sworn you told me you'd let me sleep. What do you want?"

Not caring that she was once again disturbing the woman, Helena quickly found a pair of jeans a shirt; she threw them at her.

- "Get up. We're leaving."

* * *

With Stefan by her side, Alexis walked into the room holding a sleeping Sam in her arms. She stopped just shy of the bed, unable to move; the room was no longer the one she had occupied but two hours prior. The bed, with its chocolate colored silk sheets, a beautiful cream duvet, and throw pillows of a variety of colors and patterns, was not the one on which she and her daughter had previously slept. _"So, you say I'm nothing to you?"_ The room, all aglow with candles as though awaiting an enamored pair of lovers, was the same in which, seven short years earlier, he had raped her.

- "I… I… can't. This isn't… this isn't right."

Stefan looked about the room; it still contained her duffle bags spilling of her daughter and her clothing and, from what he could see, boxes of PopTarts and canned food. The bed aside from the obviously slept-on pillows, disheveled sheets, and the teddy bear that sat in its center awaiting its owner's return, was just as it had should have been; there was nothing out of the ordinary… that he could see. _"So, if Stefan is like a brother to you, how do you see me?" _He passed his hand along her back, failing to notice the look of terror on her face his gesture had caused. He moved to the bed and pulled back the sheets.

- "Sweetheart, it's fine."

As though to reassure her further, he pulled back the sheets and ran his hand along the bed. He smiled at her when he discovered nothing on which to report.

- "There's nothing here."

But, the room remained the same. The bed remained pristine and extravagant, and there he stood pointing to it, inviting her in.

_- "I suppose it's time I changed that."_

She held more tightly onto the girl, not knowing of what other sick deeds Stavros was capable.

- "You can't have her."

He sat on the bed taking yet another sip of his drink.

_- "I don't want her. SHE, my dear, is nothing. I want you."_

And then he was gone.

- "Come, I believe Samantha might be more comfortable here, than in your arms."

Hearing Stefan's voice, she blinked; she was once again standing in the room he had allowed her and her daughter to stay in until she found a new apartment. She stared at the bed, amazed at the trick her eyes had played on her. She knew it would get only worse. She could feel Stavros continuing to prepare himself to strike at any unsuspecting moment.

- "I'm falling apart, Stefan—"

Feeling his heart breaking for her, he stood in front of her. He soothingly rubbed her arms, holding her and Sam close, as a sob escaped from her lips. He could see the terror that filled within her over everything she already knew and things she wanted to know about her life, and most importantly her daughter's mysterious past; it was eating her alive. He could hear the despair in her voice at the thought that she might become so destroyed by all that his father had to tell her that she might be unable to care for her child. He could see it all. But he would be damned if he allowed it to ruin her.

- "Not on my watch, darling."

Without asking for her permission, he gently and easily lifted the sleeping child from her fatigued arms. Sam, sensing the shift, awakened long enough to notice it was in her Cousin Stefan's safe arms she was placed, before returning to her slumber. Feeling the child's head resting comfortably on his shoulder and her secured grip on his shirt, he gave her mother a tender kiss on her tear-filled cheek.

- "I've got you both, Alexis. There's never a moment you need to worry about that. I'm holding onto you, and I'm not letting go."

She watched as he carefully and expertly tucked her daughter into the bed, prying her tiny fingers from his shirt before placing Danny into her arms.

_- "How wonderful he is with her."_

Her heart quickly beat in her chest at the feeling of his hot breath, once again, hitting the back of her neck causing the hair to rise. She gasped in shock. He had appeared behind her, running his hands underneath her shirt, circling his fingers along her breasts.

_- "Oh, my Alexandra—"_

She let out a cry as he kicked her hard in the back of her legs.

- "Why are you doing this?"

At the sound of her cry, Stefan quickly turned from his niece to find Alexis collapsing to the floor. He quickly ran to her, catching her before she hurt herself.

- "Alexis, are you alright? It's me; it's Stefan."

Feeling his arms around her, but mistaking them for that of her assailant, she quickly crawled away from him and into a corner of the room as far from him as she could escape.

- "Not again! Please don't hurt me, please!"

Moving to wear she protectively held her knees against her body, Stefan quickly put his hands up; he did not want to frighten her any further. Although he wanted to shake her from whatever conscious nightmare in which she had become consumed, he knew that it would not release her from her inner torture. It would continue until it killed her. It was time she fought it; she _had_ to conquer the demons from which she had spent years hiding.

- "Alexis, listen to me; you have to fight him! Let him know that he can't make you his victim again. You've moved on from what he did you. Darling—"

He quickly stood and pointed to Sam, who had miraculously continued to sleep.

- "Look at your daughter! Look at her! She needs you, Alexis! You fight for her! Don't you DARE let that bastard defeat you… don't you dare!"

She looked at her… she looked for her in the slightly messy room they shared, but it had transformed. The candles were once again alit, but where the bed had been empty that night, Samantha… her daughter… the child for whom she lived and breathed, now slept.

- "Oh God—"

Stavros stood before her with his pants already removed; he was ready for her.

_- "Alexandra, do you REALLY feel that I'm nothing to you? I mean, you've been living off of my family's dime for years, being fed the finest meals, having the best clothes placed on your back, and finally, being sent to the best schools, and you have the nerve to tell me that I'm not ANYTHING to you? Surely you don't think my family would have done any of this for you if you had not been SOMETHING to us. No, I'm more to you than you even realize… or at least I will be."_

She shook as he approached her and finally flinched at his touch.

- "Please, don't—"

It was Stefan.

- "Alexis, I swear to you, darling, that I would neither harm you, nor allow anyone to do the same to you; I hope you know this."

Pinning her against the wall, and holding her in place by her neck, he tore her clothes from her sweaty body.

_- "You'll learn that I'm not NOTHING, Alexandra. I am SO much more than that."_

And then he roughly entered her, holding her face in his hands as he did so, bringing it close to his own with each thrust; he wanted to stare her directly into the eyes.

_- "I am EVERYTHING you love, Alexandra. EVERYTHING."_

She felt as though she could not breathe, as though the house of cards that had built for her and called her life was beginning to collapse with each rough thrust he made. Brick by brick, it fell apart, crashing into her body, bruising her, shattering all of her beliefs and creations. Everything around her became a haze blurred between what was true and what was false… she was not sure to what life she belonged… or even if she were still part of a life… or hell.

- "Please—"

He grew frustrated as she refused to make eye contact with him. He roughly shook her, slamming her head against the hard floor.

_- "You LOOK at me! Don't you DARE turn away! LOOK AT ME!"_

Watching as she shook like a leaf to his touch, Stefan knew to what level his dead brother had brought her. While he could see her before him, somehow, the ghost had managed to keep her lost within herself… himself… a combination of the two and far from all she knew and loved. He gently held her face, willing her to match his tear-filled green eyes to her dark brown pair. For the first time, he felt as though he might not be able to save her from this demon. He felt a sense of desperation fill him, terrified that she might not only lose the battle, but also the war. He could not lose her.

- "Cousin, look at me… _please._"

Stavros smiled when she finally lifted her heavy eyes and locked them with his own. He continued to thrust within her ensuring that she read every thought and emotion he conveyed through their matching dark pupils. They shared more than a child… more than a family… they shared lines of blood that would forever connect them. He was not nothing… And he did not ever want her to allow another to allow her to forget that.

- _"Do you see?"_

Exiting her, he released her face for a moment in order to show her the switchblade he now had in his possession.

- "Nooo—"

Her eyes widened and she released a gut-wrenching sob. He had her exactly where he had wanted her.

_- "Dear Cousin Alexandra, I want you to always remember this…. remember who you are… remember your roots."_

He stuffed his sock into her mouth causing her to gag. Knowing that she would nevertheless attempt to scream, he pointed to the bed where her daughter slept, he put the blade to his lips.

_- "Shhh… you don't want to wake her, do you?"_

Stefan, pulling her into his arms, felt the blood drain from her body as each carving was made in her skin. He attempted to hold her as she sobbed, but with as much force as she could muster in spite of the horrible pain she felt as her skin was shallowly cut open, she pushed him away from her.

- "Don't TOUCH me!"

Struggling to stagger away from him, she blinked to rid her eyes of the tears that blinded her. She could not see anything. She felt as though she were drowning, but felt all the same as though her skin were on fire. She ripped at the clothing that somehow found their way back onto her, but clung to the wounds on her stomach and back. Tearing at her flesh as she attempted to remove them.

- "I… I… can't… I can't breathe!"

Wanting nothing more than to help the woman, but knowing that his actions were useless, Stefan sobbed helplessly from the corner where he sat.

- "Alexis, FIGHT! Please, FIGHT!"

He watched as she tore her clothing off not caring that he was frozen in his spot watching. He attempted to cover his face when she had removed every stitch of clothing and she found herself hypnotized in front of the mirror, but something significant caught his eye as he witnessed his cousin becoming undone before him.

- "Alexis, what the hell is that?"

But she did not hear him. She did not see him. She saw only herself, fifteen years old and alone in that large hotel room with blood running down her legs, stomach, and back. She stared at herself. She wanted to run her fingers along the wounds, but the blood made it impossible. She stared at it, turning so that she could see as it continued along her back. Feeling that her legs might soon give out on her, she attempted to reflect upon all Stavros had said and all he had done. She allowed his words to play and replay in her mind until… until… it made sense. It _all_ made sense. She heard a sound at the doorway. There he stood, the creator of the house, in shock.

- "Alexis—"

She shook her head. There would be no more lies, no fabrications and elaborations of the truth; it was there stained on and beneath her skin… in blood.

- "I know—"

Stefan noticed the man standing in the doorway. He wanted nothing more than to strangle him for setting into motion a path of destruction meant only for his beloved cousin, but she needed him first. He stood and walked toward her. He grabbed the throw blanket that rested at the foot of the bed; he needed to shield her from any further pain.

- "Darling—"

Feeling lightheaded, she blinked as she once again looked about the room until she met his approaching gaze.

- "My… my… _Stefan_."

She stared at him for some time tracing the scar with her finger as the tears continued to fall from her eyes.

- "I… I'm—"

Getting a closer look at her, he gasped as he removed her hand from her stomach. He stared at her, turning her around so that he could continue viewing the terrible scarring on her slender body.

- "What did he do to you, Alexis? What does this mean? Do you know?"

Before she could respond however, a whimper was heard from the bed; her daughter had awoken. Turning to look at her, Alexis could see that the girl shook in her spot, almost afraid to move a muscle, as she stared at her. Returning the little girl's gaze, she weakly smiled.

- "You are _not _a monster…"

Feeling as though her final effort would take all of her energy, she held onto his shirt. She stared him in the eyes.

- "Stefan."

Her body, exhausted from carrying a heavy burden, gave out; she broke, in front of her daughter, her uncle, and finally _him_, into a million pieces.

* * *

**Please Review.**


	22. Unstable Stability

_Seeing as I've been updating once a month, but it is imperative that I finish writing this, I've decided for my sanity that I will now be writing shorter chapters until I'm done. In that way, I can update more frequently. _

_I was going to be evil and not post at all, but someone convinced me to be kind. So, I'm posting… this __**final**__ time. Assuming people review, I will post the remainder of the story. If not, I will PM it to those who have been consistently leaving their thoughts. I ask you to continue to realize that your reviews inspire us writers to not only write, but to actually want to write. It only takes you a few minutes to write a review, whereas it takes us hours to write updates for your enjoyment. Please keep that in mind._

_UNEDITED._

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**Unstable Stability**

_- "Did you have a good birthday, darling?"_

_Four year old Natasha sat with her mother in a warm bubblebath. She had had an outing with her parent that day only to return home to find that her aunt and uncle had decorated the modestly renovated duplex apartment above the family's bookstore with balloons and other decorations, and her friends from her pre-school had arrived to surprise her upon her arrival. Natasha Cassadine had more than enjoyed her day. _

_The little girl threw her arms around her mother's neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek._

_- "You did a good job, Mummy! I didn't even know we were having a party!"_

_Elizabeth smiled as she placed a bubble onto the child's nose. _

_- "That's the point of a surprise; you were not supposed to know about it."_

_Playing with the bubbles, Natasha covered the woman's face and head creating a matching colored beard and hair. She loved sharing her bath time with her mother._

_- "You want to know what I loved the best?"_

_She scooped her daughter into her arms, cradling her as an infant. Natasha giggled as she reached for more bubbles to cover her mother's beautiful face._

_- "And which present did you love the most, chipmunk?"_

_- "My dollhouse!"_

_The girl had eyed the massive structure for months. Each day, on their way to and from pre-school, Natasha and Elizabeth passed the boutique near Kensington Gardens that housed the most extravagant items for children. At first glance, the young child had fallen in love with the purple and white Victorian-styled home that sat in the storefront window. She had decided that that was the item she had to have, even if it meant she would receive nothing else for either her birthday or Christmas, or even both._

_- "Can we put it by my window as it was at the store?"_

_The look of excitement on her daughter's face upon seeing the dollhouse rolled into their living room made Elizabeth's heart soar. The child's smile, laughter, and the sound of her voice filled the woman with joy; she never wanted to imagine a time when sorrow might fill Natasha's heart. _

_- "We can place it wherever you like, darling. Mummy is very happy that she and Daddy made you so happy."_

_- "Thank you!"_

_Elizabeth stared at her beautiful little girl. Her baby was growing up, and it made the woman's heart hurt. She wondered how many more years she would have as the center of her daughter's universe. The day would undoubtedly arrive when another would take Andreus and her place, in whose life Natasha's would revolve; she and her husband would fade into the background. Perhaps it was from sheer selfishness, but Elizabeth prayed such a day was not for some time yet. Although, when it did arrive, she could only hope that such a person who would take her place, would be worthy of her daughter's affections._

_- "Have you any idea how special you are to Mummy and Daddy, Natasha?"_

_The girl nodded._

_- "A lot!"_

_Elizabeth sat Natasha onto her lap as she began to play with her hair. When she had been born, her daughter's hair had appeared to light brown, almost as light as Elizabeth's dark blonde hair. As the years progressed, however, Natasha's hair darkened to near black, resembling Andreus' silky locks. Although Elizabeth would have liked for her child, aside from her high cheekbones, to more resemble her, she saw how proud Andreus was to have someone in their home who had his same dark features. Being estranged from his family, he could look at his daughter, who maintained his handsome, or rather pretty, image, and find a connection to the powerful Cassadine name._

_- "Exactly, my love! You are the best, only the best, of Daddy and Mummy. When we created you, we ensured to make you quite special, darling. We put just the right amount of sugar, spice, flour, and milk, into creating you, and then—"_

_Having before heard the story, Natasha stood and rubbed her stomach._

_- "I baked in your tummy until I was ready to come out."_

_Elizabeth held her arms out so her daughter could return into them. Without question, Natasha wrapped her arms around her mother's neck as she rested her head onto her shoulder; it was evident that she was exhausted from the day's events._

_- "That's absolutely correct, darling. You baked inside of Mummy for nine long months. And when you arrived—"_

_- "You filled Mummy and Daddy's hearts with more love than we knew what to do with, princess."_

_Elizabeth wanted to smile at the sight of her husband standing in the bathroom watching them, but she remained upset over the day's events. Her heart knew the answer to the question she needed to pose to him, but she needed to hear it from him._

_- "Was that her?" _

_

* * *

_Seeing her mother collapse to the floor as her cousin Stefan scrambled to catch and cover her exposed body, Sam shut her eyes; what she had just seen- her mother dying- was not real. It was a dream… a nightmare.

- "Mommy, please."

She whispered softly to herself as she shook in her spot. She prayed, the best way she knew how, that she would wake up to her mother once again beside her, ensuring her that everything would be fine. She had promised her.

- "Don't leave me."

And then, just as she felt herself drifting back into a place where the woman lived and called her chipmunk, she felt herself lifted from the bed.

- "Mommy?"

Unfortunately, as she instinctively buried her face into her neck, Sam sensed something wrong; it was not her mother. Opening her eyes, she realized that it was neither her mother nor her Cousin Stefan who held her; it was Mikkos.

- "Let me go! Let me go!"

She shook in the unwanted arms of a man she barely knew before letting out a scream as she struggled in his arms. From the moment she had first laid eyes on him, she knew he would attempt to steal her from her mother. Now that the woman was dead, he was stealing her from Stefan.

- "Please! Cousin, help me!"

But Mikkos shook his head. He continued to calm and reassure her that he meant no harm, but she continued in her fit of hysterics. Between her kicks and squirms, he could feel her shaking in his arms.

- "Samantha please; I'm not going to harm you. I just want to put you down with your cousin. It's alright."

Stefan, still attempting to awaken his cousin, felt himself torn as to what he should do: remain with Alexis or tend to the terrified child. While he hated that Mikkos disturbed the girl's troubled slumber, he knew that his father would not harm her. It was Alexis that most concerned him in that moment; she refused to regain consciousness.

- "Father, put her down! What the hell are you doing, she is terrified of you!"

In spite of Sam's attempts at being set free, Mikkos held firm to her tiny frame. He had simply wanted to put her down to rest with the grandchild he had yet to meet. Seeing as Alexis had suffered a psychotic break, the man found it inappropriate to allow the child to continue to witness such dysfunction. If she had experienced such horror at the hands of the McCalls, and had, as a result severe emotional damage making her overly attached to her mother, Mikkos deemed it inappropriate to allow her to watch as Stefan attempted to revive the woman. Samantha was a child, not some fragile porcelain doll.

- "Stefan, this child should not be witnessing this. Alexis is not in her right frame of mind to mind her right now, and Samantha is clearly frightened—"

Releasing Alexis, Stefan stood quickly.

- "Of _you_! She is frightened of you! Now, give her to me."

- "Cousin Stefan!"

Sam attempted to reach for him, but Mikkos refused to hand her to the man. Gesturing to the still unconscious Alexis, Mikkos turned his body away from Stefan thereby blocking the hysterical child from his reach.

- "Tend to Alexis. I will put Samantha down with your son. She does not need to see her mother like this."

The younger man felt a rage fill within him. He had not spent five years keeping Nikolas from the Cassadine clutches for his father to now attempt to control not only Alexis and her child, but interfere with his son. The Cassadines were poison exemplified by the scene before him.

- "NO! You will not go anywhere near _my_ son. Like Samantha, he does not know you, nor will he ever."

Stefan could see she was becoming inconsolable. From experience and having known the child for over a month, he could tell her bladder would soon break. He did not want such an occurrence to happen on the man he had grown, in the few hours since he had arrived, to hate.

- "Father, you would do well to let Samantha come to me; can't you see she is frightened? She'll not stay with Nikolas; I assure you of that. She only wants to be with her mother—"

Blinded by her tears, Sam nevertheless continued to reach out to the only other adult she trusted and loved.

- "Cousin, please! I don't… I don't… want to go… with _him_!"

Stefan's heart hurt for his niece. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms, but his father proved relentless.

- "Darling, it will be alright. He is not taking you anywhere, ok?"

Not being accustomed to caring for children, Mikkos found himself frustrated. He meant Samantha no harm. In fact, he found that the situation before him of his niece unconscious and partially exposed was more damaging than his attempt to move her daughter to safety. He was tired of being made to be the villain when all he had ever wanted to do was protect them… _all_.

- "Her mother cannot help her right now, Stefan! She's mentally unstable; she might not be safe for this child to be around right now. Now, she might be upset right now, but she will calm when she learns she has not a choice but to rest with your son."

Stefan shook his head at the man as he again attempted to take Sam.

- "Are you daft? It is not that simple for her—"

Unfortunately, in spite of her struggles, the older man continued to hold her firmly to him. Stefan prayed his father's hold was not too tight on the girl.

- "Father!"

Alas, as though to complete the sense of déjà vu from what had been the worst night of her life, crying to the point of feeling that she might choke, Sam found her bladder suddenly full. Looking at Stefan who seemed to already know what was to come, she found that she could no longer hold her urine; she urinated on the man from whose arms she had pled to be free. She was mortified.

- "I'm sorry! Please, let me go! Let… me gooo!"

Taken aback by the warm wet feeling of his shirt clinging to his skin, Mikkos nearly dropped the girl.

- "What—"

Stefan immediately took advantage of his father's loosened grip on Sam; he pulled her quickly into his arms.

- "Come my raven. It will be alright. I've got you."

He attempted to hold her to him, but she, in her absolute embarrassment, scrambled from his arms; she ran directly into the bathroom, slamming the door in her wake.

Seeing his niece's upset, Stefan shoved Mikkos against the dresser. Even after Cody had knocked him unconscious to kidnap Sam from Alexis, Stefan had never in his life been so angry with another living person. His father was not only the catalyst who set their problems in motion, but he had caused an already traumatized little girl to relive the worst moment of her life. The usually even-tempered gentleman wanted to kill the man.

- "You son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you? I swear to God if Samantha does not recover from the shock you've given her, I will murder you myself!"

Pushing Stefan from him, Mikkos glared at the man. He could not understand his anger; he was not the enemy.

- "I've done nothing to that child!"

The situation was far worse than he could have ever imagined; if some semblance of order was not found soon, it would only get worse.

- "This family for whom you continue to claim to care is falling apart at the seams! That child needs a psychiatrist—"

Although Stefan did not feel his father had any right to comment on Samantha, he nevertheless interjected.

- "She already sees one."

Mikkos shook his head.

- "And Alexis! You claim to care profoundly for her, yet look at what she's become, Stefan! Look at her! You have done _nothing _for your si—, for your cousin! She is in NO shape to care for that child."

Stefan fumed at his father's accusations. For the eighteen years in which he had been blessed to have Alexis in his life, he had done nothing but protect her to the best of his abilities. He had changed her soiled sheets when she had first arrived. He had brought her food when Helena took no issue in starving her. And he had bandaged any wound Stavros had inflicted on her. He had done everything in his power to keep her safe when he himself was just a boy; protecting her should not have been his responsibility. It was Mikkos' job, as their father and uncle, to ensure that they were not mistreated… that they were safe. If he had taken his responsibility as the patriarch of the Cassadine family seriously, Stefan felt he would not have had to stand in the corner of the room with a broom and dustpan awaiting the moment when his cousin would break into a million pieces.

- "It is not for you to decide what is best for Samantha, or Alexis, for that matter. You have proved how useful your help is."

Mikkos spat back at the man.

- "As have you! This is disgraceful—"

He stopped speaking once he heard a groan from across the room.

- "Alexis?"

She had begun to awake. She looked about the room terrified for what was yet to come from Stavros' twisted and cruel mind, but quickly realized that she was back to where she belonged.

- "Sam?"

Unsure of when or where he might reappear, she called out for her daughter in a whisper. She knew the girl had awakened to witness her… episode; her baby must have been terrified.

- "Baby, please—"

Stefan immediately ran to Alexis' side.

- "Darling—"

He held the blanket around her body as she struggled to sit up straight; he could tell that the memory of her rape had taken a heavy toll on her. The wounds that had long ago improperly healed sent pain ripping through her sweaty body.

- "She was frightened and ran into the bathroom. I have yet to check on her, but I am certain that it is not I she wants or needs right now; it is you."

Closing her eyes to somewhat father her bearings and focus not on her pain, but rather on helping her daughter, she leaned against her… cousin.

- "Ok. I just need a hand… please."

He wrapped his arm around her waist.

- "Of course."

Helping her to stand, he slowly led her towards the bathroom door. As he reached to open the door, however, she stopped him.

- "I've got it from here Stefan. Thank you."

And then she turned into him, giving him such a hug as though she had never before met hi… that this was the first time she had ever laid eyes on him and held him in her arms. She held him close, almost afraid to let go.

- "I love you… so much."

He frowned for a moment, unsure of her reaction, but nevertheless grateful she was well.

- "I love you too… I always have."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek before slowly opening the bathroom door and slipping inside. Stefan, upon seeing the door close angrily turned back to glare at the man who had helped give him life.

- "I want to know right now what the hell that was carved into that woman!"

Knowing it would only be an amount of time before Helena made her presence known, Mikkos resigned himself to begin revealing all that he had worked to conceal. He let out a breath as he removed the soiled shirt from his body.

- "_That_ was an act of revenge."

* * *

_She walked between her parents through St. James Park in London. It was a family tradition they had; each Sunday, after brunch, the would walk… just the three of them among the trees, flowers, and lake. They walked through the park until they hit the gates of Buckingham Palace._

_- "Ok, Princess—"_

_Andreus lifted Natasha onto his shoulders as they watched the changing of the guards._

_- "Daddy, I still don't understand why they must wear those weird hats."_

_He wrapped his arm around his wife as he thought of a response for their little birthday girl. When he left Greece several years prior, he never thought he would have a family; he was sure he would be alone for the rest of his life. His parents were dead, his brother considered him dead, and he had nothing for which to live. He had his Cassadine name, but that certainly did not bring him happiness. Nothing did… until he met Elizabeth Davidovitch._

_Having always been a lover of books and classic literature, the man purchased a bookstore, along with the apartments that sat above the storefront; Elizabeth lived in apartment 201. After months of selling books to the woman, collecting her rent checks, and friendly conversations here and there, the lonely man found enough courage to ask the lovely one on a date; and having waited months for such a request, Elizabeth immediately accepted._

_The couple dated for nearly a year before marrying, learning everything about one another: the good, the bad, and the ugly. They told each other things they never dared tell another living soul for fear of ridicule, ostracism and… judgment. But they told one another knowing they could; they had vowed acceptance. They were soulmates._

_- "You know, Natty, their hats are so tall and furry because they need to keep their lunch hidden and warm."_

_The girl, wrapping her hands against her father's forehead, frowned at the men across the gate._

_- "Really?"_

_Elizabeth laughed at her husband's silliness. It had been six years since they had met, five years since they had married in a small wedding ceremony in which her brother stood as Andreus' best man, and most importantly, it had been four years to the day since their beautiful little girl made her entrance into their lives. Every single day in which he had come into her life was filled with more joy than she had ever envisioned; that day, as they stood in the park, was no exception._

_- "You're so silly, Andy. Natty, Daddy doesn't know what he is speaking about. Now, come down from his shoulders as it's time for Daddy to get to the bookstore. You and I, my little tiger lily, can do whatever you like."_

_Reaching for her mother, Natasha smiled._

_- "May we… pick some flowers from the garden and bring them home?"_

_Elizabeth placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek as she balanced her on her hip._

_- "I don't believe her Majesty will like that too much; I believe she might in fact be quite cross by the action. However, I'm sure we can buy some seeds to plant in our window box. How do you like that?"_

_- "I like that very much!"_

_She winked at the gorgeous girl._

_- "That is what I thought you would say, my love. Now, say goodbye to Daddy."_

_Natasha smiled at her handsome father._

_- "Bye Daddy."_

_- "Goodbye Darling; be good for Mummy."_

_- "I will."_

_He wanted to quickly make it to the boutique before it closed so that he could purchase Natasha's birthday present. She had begged the young couple for a large dollhouse she had seen several months prior in the window of the shop. It was a three story purple and white Victorian home with an attic. It came with a little family similar to their own: a male, which undoubtedly would be the father, a female, the mother, and a little girl, their beautiful daughter._

_While the set cost more than they could afford at that moment, Andreus decided to use money from his Cassadine trust to make the purchase. Since he had left Greece, he had refused to touch the large inheritance his father had left for him upon his death; he felt unworthy. However, since he had a family to support, when his earnings from the bookstore proved insufficient for the month, he tapped into the trust that would, upon his death, pass to his daughter._

_Not paying attention as he left his wife and daughter, Andreus accidentally bumped into a passerby._

_- "Oh, I'm sorry, miss."_

_The woman, clearly annoyed by the unwelcomed contact, brushed off her sleeve as though he were some bum in the street. _

_- "Perhaps you should watch where you're going next time, sir."_

_Hearing the familiar voice, he stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around to see from whose lips it the words had come._

_- "Oh my."_

_There she was, over a decade late, as beautiful as she had been when he had known her._

_- "Helena?"_

_Upon allowing her name to escape, shame immediately filled within him; his skin burned with guilt._

_- "I'm… I'm sorry."_

_She, taken aback by such an unwelcomed blast from her past, quickly pulled her tall son behind her._

_- "What… what are you doing here… Andreus?"_

_He cleared his throat before speaking as he felt suddenly at a loss for his voice. She was the last person he would have expected to encounter._

_- "I… live here… now."_

_Sensing the woman's… he could not figure out her emotion, took his mother's hand into his own. Despite the chill in the air, her palms felt sweaty._

_- "Mother? Are you alright?"_

_Stepping aside to look at the man who so visibly upset his mother, Stavros could see the family resemblance; the stranger looked very much like his father. However, to the young teen's knowledge, Mikkos Cassadine was an only child._

_- "Who is this?"_

_Helena, unable to look Andreus in the eyes, looked to the second boy who had stood several feet from them. He was tall with light brown hair and beautiful green eyes- hers; if only she could tolerate him, she would call him handsome. He was a mixture of both his parents._

_- "He is nobody, darling."_

_But Stavros heard the shakiness in her voice; he was certain she was not speaking truthfully._

_- "Mother—"_

_Helena, however, still holding the boy's hand, shakily turned to leave Andreus standing shocked by their encounter. Alas, it was her turn to collide with another. This time, however, it was a small child._

_- "Excuse me!"_

_Stefan immediately ran to the child's side, helping her up from the ground._

_- "Oh! You've scraped your knee."_

_Surprised by the sight of the crying child and the woman she assumed was her mother, Helena stopped long enough to ensure she was not hurt. The sound of little girls' cries always made her heart stop; she had never heard her own daughter's cry. Sofi never had a voice._

_- "I'm sorry. Is she… is she hurt?"_

_Lifting her daughter into her arms, Elizabeth smiled gratefully at both the boy and the woman for their concern._

_- "She's fine, Miss. It's quite alright. Isn't that right, Natasha?"_

_The little girl who had pressed her face into her mother's shoulder finally turned her head and met the gaze of the woman who had caused her to scrape her knee._

_- "I'm fine, thank you."_

_Helena's eyes noticeably widened at the sight of the girl; she was the spitting image of the man. Looking at the woman who now stepped closer to Andreus, she noticed the ring on her finger; she was his wife._

_- "Very well then—"_

_She nodded curtly at the family._

_- "Goodbye."_

_As she left holding the hand of the older boy, the younger lagged behind as though knowing his place. _

_- "Feel better… Natasha."_

_He waved at the girl he had helped before continuing on with his mother and brother leaving Elizabeth and Andreus dumbfounded._


	23. A Relative Misfortune

Well, this was far longer than I had intended it to be. My previous comment remains: lack of responses will result in me PMing the remainder of the story to my regular reviewers. I would truly appreciate your actual thoughts.

Not entirely edited… I have a party to get ready for and more schoolwork than I care to deal with… hence the update.

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**A Relative Misfortune**

Stefan stared incredulously at his father. Since he had learned that Stavros had raped his cousin, Stefan attempted to learn why; nothing aside from pure viciousness had made any logical sense. Stavros had always been the apple of Helena's eye, the one for whom she lived, the only person she needed in her life. He did as she asked, loved whomever she loved, and hated the same. His absolute disdain for Alexis stemmed not from a personal sense of animosity toward her; instead, it was derivative of his mother's inexplicable hatred for the girl. He had not a personality of his own. Everything about the _man_ was in relation to his mother and what pleased her… he crushed and destroyed all objects of displeasure.

- "I don't… understand—"

Such a word was not in the realm of Stefan's thoughts. Alexis had arrived in their home at the tender age of four with no memory of her previous life. She was as quiet as a church mouse, afraid to speak above a whisper or be noticed in an otherwise empty room. She was… a _child_, and yet she was brutalized from the moment she entered their lives.

- "Revenge?"

Mikkos could see the doubt in the man's eyes. Stefan had seen the word as clearly… rather, he had seen it _more _clearly than he. It was terribly scarred onto the woman's stomach and back, yet he failed to see what had been before him all along. Mikkos was not sure if he wanted to open the blinds that blocked the younger man's view.

- "Yes."

After so many years, was there even a point?

- "You saw what was done—"

Stefan slammed his hand onto the dresser. He would have liked to throw something… someone… across the room.

- "RETRIBUTION! He carved retribution into her skin! My goodness, what could a fifteen year old _GIRL _ have done to deserve such a thing done to her?"

He could not calm himself as he threw one of the cans of food that sat on the dresser across the room. It shattered a mirror that hung on the wall.

- "She was an innocent _CHILD_! She did _NOT _deserve to be treated in such a way!"

Mikkos nodded as he moved from the room into the living room where he was certain the already traumatized child would not be able to hear her uncle's angered words. As he heard her sobs from the bathroom, he did not want his granddaughter to suffer any more than she had.

- "Stefan, what you must know is that your brother—"

He stopped him from speaking.

- "Don't you dare call that animal my brother! May he rot in hell for what he has done to her! If ever I doubted the existence of Satan, I am certain that I was wrong. He existed and was borne from Helena and your influence and indifference!"

The rage was apparent in the man; Mikkos knew there was nothing to be done to quell the fires. As the truth came to light, only fuel would be added until the life he had attempted to create for his family would disintegrate in flames.

- "I know this, Stefan. You must know that there are many things in my life for which I will be forever regretful. Stavros' existence, as it had been, will remain near the top of my list."

He moved to the coffee table where the file was kept. He quickly found the certificate of adoption; he stared at it for some time before speaking. Somehow, like everything else he had attempted to fix in their lives, something so simple… an act of contrition… had turned out wrong.

- "You know, I truly meant what I had said to Alexis… Alexandra. When I agreed to give her baby to a family she deserved, I meant it."

Stefan scoffed as he opened the bar; he needed a drink.

- "Yes, the McCalls were exactly the right fit, Father. Scotch?"

Mikkos still holding the paper, turned to look at the man who, in spite of his anger, nevertheless retained his manners. He was nothing like Stavros; he was every bit a gentleman.

- "I NEVER gave that child to those people! I had never heard the name of such people until I arrived here!"

The younger man was reluctant to believe the man, but thought it best to listen. The truth was needed.

- "If you did not give the child to those animals, then to whom was she given?"

Mikkos held up the certificate as Stefan approached him with the glass.

- "I gave her to them! _This_ is correct! I named the child Andrea Natasha, after her grandfather and her mother. Then knowing that she would be given all that her mother had not, I hander her to the people from whom I had previously stolen another child."

Stefan raised his glass to his father in jest.

- "My father, ever the destroyer of life."

_**Flashback**_

_It had been a couple of days since he had seen, for the first time in over a decade, his younger brother. Unfortunately, their reunion was not one of celebration or reconnection. Instead, it was quite fateful; the younger man would die mere minutes afterwards, but not before he had begged his brother, the man whom he had betrayed in the worst way, to care for his young daughter. Not knowing what else to say, and feeling as though he could not deny Andreus his final wish, Mikkos agreed. And so, he walked into the child's hospital room armed with not only custodial papers for the girl, but also her passport and birth certificates, and finally, a change of clothing; they would be leaving for Greece upon her immediate release._

_- "Er… good afternoon—"_

_He had not anticipated the sight of the bereaved couple seated at the child's bedside. In having been asked to take the girl in to his care, he had assumed that no other family existed. In fact, upon the man's death, it did not take long before Mikkos received a phone call from Andreus' attorney who had already drawn up the appropriate paperwork that had previously been filed giving, in the circumstance of the simultaneous deaths of the child's parents, he would be given, upon his consent, custody. Seeing the couple, whom he assumed to be related to the dead woman, Mikkos regretted his agreement; they clearly loved the sleeping girl._

_- "I am—"_

_The man, tall with dirty blonde hair and light brown eyes, immediately released his wife so that he could extend his hand to the man whom he immediately recognized. They had never before met, but he could see the resemblance between the stranger and his now deceased brother-in-law._

_- "You must be Andy's brother; it's a pleasure to meet you, even given the circumstances. I'm William Davidovitch, Elizabeth's brother. This is my wife Anna."_

_Mikkos shook the man's hand as he nodded to the crying woman. He watched as she gently ran her finger along the child's hand, almost afraid to touch her. The grief and shock of the couple's deaths was written on the woman's face._

_- "It is very nice to meet you both. I am truly sorry for your loss."_

_And he meant it. In two days, they had lost not only their sister and brother-in-law, but given the papers he held in his hands, they would also lost their niece. If he could have taken back his promise to the dead man, he would have; had he known about the couple's existence, he would never have given his consent to take the girl. Unfortunately, that was not an option. He had to see this through to the end._

_- "I am Mikkos Cassadine."_

_William smiled gratefully at the man. He knew that Andreus was estranged from his family, but he was sure the man's soul must have been at peace for his brother had been by his side in his final moments. Looking at the well-kempt gentleman, William could only imagine the pain rippling through the man's heart surrounded by the regret of not knowing his brother._

_- "Your brother was… he was a great guy, Mr. Cassadine. I… I hope you know that. He was a fantastic father and a loving husband to my… sister."_

_He swallowed hard as the sob caught him off guard. Elizabeth was not only his twin sister, but also his best friend. Never a day in their lives had they argued. They hung with the same friends, went to the same schools, and always managed to live in close proximity to one another. In fact, he and Anna lived a mere five blocks from Andreus and Elizabeth's store and converted flat above it. The thought that he would pass the bookstore each day on his way to work and not see his sister and Natasha leaving for preschool killed him._

_- "I apologize, but this is… this is very hard. We're a close family."_

_Mikkos felt as though he had been stabbed by the man's words. He was not certain if it was intentionally done, but it nonetheless hurt._

_- "Yes well, it is a terrible loss. I hope you will forgive me for not remaining for the funeral; I have to return to Greece."_

_William could not have claimed surprise at the man's unwillingness to remain to see his brother laid to rest. He had not been in attendance for any of the important moments in Andreus' life: his wedding, the birth of his daughter, her Christening, and first birthday. A man who had never shown interest in his brother's life would certainly not concern himself in his death._

_- "That's fine—"_

_Mikkos continued before the man could mention the child._

_- "As to the child, I would like to get her situated—"_

_William's eyes widened. He had assumed that his niece would be in his wife and his care; neither she nor they had anyone else. In no way did he consider that this stranger would take from him and his wife the only thing remaining of their happy family._

_- "Excuse me, but Natasha lives here. Anna and I will be caring for her—"_

_Mikkos shook his head as he placed his briefcase onto the tray-table. _

_- "I apologize, sir—"_

_He pulled out the paperwork that gave him custody of the girl._

_- "Andreus has specifically asked that I take the child—"_

_With tears rolling down her face, Anna glared at the man._

_- "Her name is NATASHA! She is not some object that you can just throw into your briefcase and carry to Greece. She is a child with a name and a family who loves her!"_

_He hated every moment that he stood in the room breaking the hearts of these kind people. He knew what it meant to lose a child and the pain that never truly left one's heart because of it. Even if Natasha was not theirs, he sensed that they looked upon her as though she were; his actions tore them apart. He felt disgusted in the role he played in contributing to their pain._

_- "My brother asked that I take Natasha to Greece with me where she will have someone—"_

_He stopped himself from speaking before he revealed the content of the short letter the attorney had given him from Andreus. Mikkos was certain the man had not told his new family of his past transgressions; he would not alongside their lives, now destroy his memory._

_- "Where she will have all the privileges she might not have here. I would also like to pay for the funeral arrangement for both my brother and your sister—"_

_Anna could no longer contain her fury. She pushed her husband out of her way as she lunged at the man. She smacked him across the face._

_- "We don't need your money, sir; we can afford to bury our family. And as for Natasha, there is no way in bloody hell you are taking her from her home! She's already lost her parents, she is not losing us as well. We are her family. Not you. Now, please leave."_

_Without a word, Mikkos nodded at the couple. He knew the situation would not be easy, but it had to be done. He was a man of his word._

_**End of Flashback**_

But he did take her and there was nothing they could do to fight him. Mikkos had the money, means, and power to fight any battle people whom the girl, due to her amnesia, was unable to recognize. He had brought her, after stopping by the freshly dug graves of the people she did not remember, but nevertheless understood to be her parents, to Greece. So that she would always be tied to her father, he named her Alexandra, after his middle name of Alexei. While she would never know the man, Mikkos ensured to nevertheless tie her to him.

- "I did what was asked of me."

He gave her what he thought was a better life of privilege and opportunity. He had provided her with the best schooling, the finest foods and clothing, immersed her in numerous languages of which she quickly became fluent. And she had Stefan. He had given her so much, and yet so little at the same time.

- "My brother, before he died, asked that I take her. So I did."

Stefan narrowed his eyes at the man.

- "From whom?"

He stared at the man who sat in front of him clearly disgusted by both his actions and inactions. If only he knew how hard he had fought for the girl… to what levels, even in his apparent indifference, he had gone to protect and do right by her. Alas, it never worked. When she returned to Greece sixteen and pregnant, he knew he had failed her… though it was not until months later when he would realize how deeply.

- "From her family. Her mother's brother and his wife… they had wanted her."

Stefan always knew his cousin had come from a family before falling into his life. In no way could a child living in a household of people who merely resided together because of their consanguinity, learn to love as she had. It had to have come from her previous life, a life she was unable to remember, but certainly one that lived within her.

- "Did they want her?"

Mikkos took a sip of his drink. He allowed the taste of the rich liquor to sit in his mouth a moment before swallowing. The warmth of the scotch moving down his throat was welcoming in the chill of the room.

- "Very much so, but I had to honor my brother's wishes. I could not break my promise to him."

This was the part that Stefan found most troubling. He had spent his entire life ignorant of the fact that his father had had a brother; there were no pictures, no mentions of his name, and certainly no stories relating to his father's youth with the man, and yet, this man's one request had all, but ruined, his cousin's life. It did not make any sense.

- "Why lie? Why lead Alexis… Natasha… to believe she were someone she was not? Why change her name and give her a new identity? Why deprive her of the memory of her family, Father! Why would you take her from a family who loved and wanted her to only bring her into a home where she would be abused, mistreated, and raped!"

Stefan found himself once again screaming at the man. The more he learned of what his father concealed and laid it beside the torture his cousin endured because of it, the angrier her became. As blessed as he felt to have had Alexis in his life, he would have given her up if it meant she would not have suffered at his family's hands. He would have chosen continued loneliness, rather than commiseration.

- "I don't think I've hated you more than I do in this moment."

Mikkos stared at the man whose spite for him was quite evident. If a mirror were placed in front of him, the older gentleman could not, however deny he carried the same image of disdain for himself. He had single-handedly ruing every member of his family's life.

- "Well, get in line."

* * *

Not wanting to frighten her daughter any further, Alexis cautiously walked into the large bathroom of the master suite. She knew that she had run in there to hide from the insanity she had yet again witnessed; it hurt her heart that she had frightened her so deeply. Even at the door, she could hear Sam's whimpers, but she was unsure of where she hid. While there were not many options for where the petite girl could fit or reach, Alexis hoped she could coax her out on her on free will.

- "Samantha, sweetheart? I know you're scared, but can you come out for Mommy, please?"

Alexis checked the tub, but the girl was not there. She opened the frosted shower door, but that was also empty. The only place she could think her petite daughter could be and fit was the cabinet underneath the sink.

- "Honey, Mommy's not going to hurt you. It's okay. She just wants to make sure that you're okay. She just wants to let you know that she's okay. You don't have to worry anymore."

Careful not to make any sudden movements, she slowly made her way to the sink. Her body continued to ache as though she had been truly brought back to that horrific night, but she could not focus on that; her daughter needed her.

- "Chipmunk, Mommy is so sorry she scared you; she did not mean to. She's going to open the door slowly and she wants you to come to her, okay?"

Shaking like a leaf, Sam held her breath for a moment hoping the stranger would move elsewhere. She heard her voice, but she was too terrified to come out from her hiding spot. She wanted her mother to save her, but she knew it could no longer happen. She had witnessed her cousin, Stefan, attempt to revive her to no avail. Whoever approached her claiming to be her mother was not… and never could be. Clearly, this was a trick to lure her out to take her from the only person she had left: Stefan.

- "She's not real. She's not real."

Mumbling to herself, she shut her eyes tightly; she concentrated on blocking out the woman's voice.

- "Mommy's dead. She left me… she left me. I'm alone… I'm alone… I… I…"

Smelling in that stuffy cabinet the urine emanating from the soiled Ariel nightgown that stuck to her, Sam brought her knees closer to her body, tightly shut her eyes and held her hands firmly against her ears until they hurt from the pressure she applied. Although she did not want to cry to further clue the interloper of her hiding place, she could not help herself; her world had crumbled to pieces only to be reconstructed with bricks of despair.

- "I wanna go home… I wanna go home… I want my Mommy."

Certain that Sam hid in the cabinet, Alexis slowly and painfully sat on her knees. With every breath she took, she grew convinced that the blood of her wounds soaked the blanket that covered her sore body as it had done that night.

_**Flashback**_

_It was daylight._

_- "Oh my God!"_

_She looked at the bedside clock; it read eight thirty. _

_- "I'm going to be late!"_

_Her class began in ten minutes. Quickly sitting up in her spot, she screamed in agony; she had forgotten where she was. She had hoped that it had been nightmare, but staring at the blood soaked bed, the blood that trailed from it to the long mirror by the bathroom door and back, and the broken lamps and overturned chairs, she knew it to be real. He had raped her. _

_- "Oh… God!"_

_She sobbed for some time as she continued to further tangle herself in the sheets that she had already wrapped around her body to shield it from his amused gaze. Thankfully, however, she soon realized that he was no longer there. She was alone._

_Considering the pain she felt, it was no wonder that she had passed out at some point during the night. It was too much for her body to handle after the shock from what had been done to her._

_- "Okay… I need… I need to go… I need to leave."_

_Keeping the sheet around her otherwise nude body, she slowly moved about the trashed room searching for each piece of her attire. She found her right shoe underneath the bed, the left one feet away by the nightstand, her shirt with its torn buttons was in the corner by the door where he had shoved her the moment she had arrived, and finally, she picked up her skirt from the foot of the bed. Her bra and underwear were beside it, but both torn; she could not wear them. _

_Her hands shook as she unwrapped the sheet from her body. Unfortunately, when she attempted to remove it entirely, she found it stuck as though pasted onto her skin. Remembering what lied beneath the 1500 thread count sheet, she braced herself for the misery that would involve peeling it off of her. _

_Tears rolled down her cheeks as she bit a pillow to keep herself from screaming as she dug the sheet from every letter he had carved into her stomach and back. Never before, even in the torture that Helena and Stavros had put her through throughout the years had she ever expected such an occurrence. He had always been cruel, but his acts from the previous night were inhumane._

_- "How am I going to hide this?"_

_She knew better than to go to the hospital; they would immediately know what had happened to her. Moving to the mirror where she not only saw a bag sitting beside it, she saw a piece of paper jutting from its corner. She first opened the bag to find that he had left her a change of clothes, as well as a first aid kit. Tears rolled down her cheeks at his preparedness._

_- "How thoughtful."_

_Turning to the paper stuck to the mirror, she immediately recognizing her assailant's barely legible handwriting; she opened it._

"_Tell anyone, especially your precious Stefan, and I'll kill him. If you think you are alone now, sweet Tasha, imagine how you will feel after we bury the poor boy."_

_Nodding as though he stood before her warning her of the repercussions of the truth, she began to push all that she knew into the back of her mind. She knew his note to be the truth._

_**End of Flashback**_

And yet there she was once again wrapped in a blanket to cover the wounds he had inflicted upon her. The only difference was that now the secret was out.

- "Okay, Alexis focus. There's nothing that can be done now. He's going to know. Focus on her… on Samantha."

She breathed through the pain so that she might now help her daughter through the aftermath of her latest breakdown.

- "Chipmunk? Mommy is going to open the door now; she doesn't want you to be scared. She just wants to help you out."

Hearing Sam's continued whimpers in response to her and unsure of what she might find, Alexis slowly opened the door.

- "Oh baby."

The faint smell of urine coupled with the sight of the girly lying in the fetal position rocking and shaking as tears covered her face in spite of her tightly closed eyes, tore her heart apart. This was what she had caused.

- "Sweetheart, it's okay."

The girl had created for herself… rather _she_ had created for the girl… a world filled with constant hurt, pain, and despair. Her mere touch would only further aggravate the terror she had caused.

- "Baby, come to Mommy."

At hearing the woman's request, Sam let out an audible cry; she had cornered herself without escape. She was in a position where this person could take her away from… no one… she no longer had anyone. While she loved Stefan, he already had a child; he had Nikolas. The person she wanted most in the world was gone. This person, in spite of her claims, was not her.

- "Nooo… leave me alone… leave me alone!"

Alexis wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks for the guilt that filled her spirit. She had destroyed her beautiful little girl.

- "Sweetheart, look at me."

Sam's cried increased as Alexis continued to refer to herself as her mother. She became increasingly more hysterical, choking on her sobs with each wail. She attempted to press her hands more firmly onto her ears, but the pain was already too much for her little head and ears to take. She felt the walls closing in on her.

- "My Mommy died… my Mommy died… she _left_ me…"

Alexis found herself sobbing alongside her daughter as she attempted to figure out how she would regain her trust so that she might calm her. As cornered as Sam might have felt, the young woman felt lost. She wanted nothing more than to smother the girl in her embrace, but she could not find the means to do so; her hands were tied behind her back.

- "I didn't leave you, honey. I didn't!"

Sam furiously shook her head at the woman's denials.

- "She's dead… she's dead… I'm all alone… just like the fairy princesses. They're real!"

She felt as though she had been once again kicked in the stomach. Even her encouragement of her daughter's love of fairytales had harmed her; she could not win.

- "No, baby; the fairytales are _not_ real and Mommy is _not_ dead! Look at me!"

Leaning closer to the cabinet, she wiped her tears as they quickly rolled down her cheeks. She reached for

- "Sam, Mommy did not die! She's here with you! Sweetheart, open your eyes. Look at me. Honey look!"

Sam as she attempted to stop her increased shaking, but upon contact the girl began to gag on her own tears as she could not bring herself to do as she was told. She would not open her eyes.

- "Noooo!"

She thought about the demons of Anastasia and even the God of the underworld about whom Nikolas had told her. Knowing all the evil that she had seen in her six years, and the poor luck that seemed to follow her wherever she went, she was certain the likes of Rasputin and Hades awaited her outside of the stuffy cabinet.

- "Leave me alone! I want my Mommy! I want her baaaack!"

She began to wail, as she could no longer take the sense of suffocation that filled her; she thrashed in the cabinet wanting to be set free. She rocked terribly screaming at the top of her lungs until Alexis knew she could no longer let her be; her baby would certainly hurt herself if she did not intervene.

- "Samantha, you have her! I'm right here!"

In spite of the pain that tore through her body, she reached into the cabinet and pull the girl out and away from danger.

- "Come to Mommy."

Blinded by her tears and sure some evilness had finally taken hold of her for the second time that night, she begin to kick and scream. She balled her tiny hands into fists, hitting any part of the woman's body she could until she was freed.

- "No! Leave me alone! I want my Mommy… I want _her_!"

Alexis attempted to shield herself from the blows, but Sam had caught her in the arms, shoulders, and even her stomach. Although winded, she held onto her with the best of her ability.

- "Samantha, STOP! You're hurting me!"

But she could not stop. She continued to wildly hit the woman as she cried and screamed. After painfully biting Alexis on the arm, causing the woman to scream, she was finally released.

- "Leave me alone!"

She attempted to run to the door so that she could find comfort next to where she believed the dead woman's body remained, but Alexis, having recovered, quickly grabbed her. Ignoring the added pain of the parts of her body that would quickly bruise due to the girl's battery, she pulled Sam into her arms, pinning her hands to her sides to prevent any further harm.

- "Don't be afraid sweetheart. You've got me. I'm right here, honey. I'm here with you."

She held Sam tightly, kissing her wet face as she began to slowly rock her in place.

- "It's me, honey. If you'd look, you'd see. It's me. I'm not going anywhere."

Resigning to her defeat, the distraught child crumpled in the woman's arms. She sobbed at the profound sense of loss that filled her at the uncertainty of where life would leave her. She was alone. She mourned her fairy godmother.

* * *

She wanted to leave that night for Connecticut to deal with the interlopers who had not only destroyed, but continued to invade her once precious family. She wanted to do away with them all; to remove the stain they left in what had been her impeccable home. She wanted them gone. Unfortunately, it was the middle of the night; she had neither car nor driver. She would have to wait until morning.

And so she sat on the balcony staring at the hideous view with which she was provided. The dilapidated, graffiti-filled buildings in the distance amidst the cracked and polluted streets of the city were old, filthy, and an embarrassment to those who inhabited them. The area, weathered by storms, years of wear, and people, looked as though death walked among them; the beautiful and rich life that they might have had died long ago.

_**Flashback**_

_She sat on her terrace cradling in her arms her two year old son. The boy had been fighting an ear infection and a cold for days; cranky from the pain, the only thing that seemed to calm him was the sound of the water of the Mediterranean Sea and the breeze it brought onto their balcony. Content in his mother's arms, he fell soundly asleep._

_- "Only in his sleep does he look innocent."_

_Mikkos, who had just returned from the airport, bent behind his wife. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he gently kissed her cheek._

_- "Hello darling. How are you?"_

_She leaned her head onto his. She took in the scent of his sweet cologne, happy to have him home after his day trip away. She missed having him in her arms when she slept at night, and still when she awoke in the morning._

_- "Better now that you're here; out little prince has kept me awake all night with his fussing. I don't think I've let my spot here on this chair in about six hours. How was your trip?"_

_He gave her yet another kiss before standing to take the sleeping child from her arms; their son was their pride and joy._

_- "Come to Papa, Stavros—"_

_Helena disapprovingly shook her head knowing that if Stavros awoke, his tantrum would be unmanageable. As sweet and affectionate as her son could be on a normal day, he was quite the handful when sick; considering the lack of sleep she had gotten because of his illness, she did not have the energy to fight with the toddler if his father disturbed his slumber._

_- "Mikkos, please do not wake him."_

_Holding the boy in his arms, he smiled at his beautiful wife as he squeezed her chin. Under normal circumstances, he would have left the boy in her arms as the bond between the mother and son was quite evident; most times, the man felt as though he were some intruder in their lives. However, this was no ordinary day. _

_- "Layna, I would not dare do that to you. I simply want you to stand, close your eyes, and promise me that you will be calm when I tell you to reopen them."_

_She suspiciously stared at him. Mikkos Cassadine was quite the romantic, but he knew well that she was not one for surprises; the anticipation killed her causing her curiosity to usually get the best of her. She would bother her husband with requests to prematurely reveal the surprise until he grew so agitated with her that he would acquiesce so that he might have a moment's peace. Despite his annoyance with her, however, she was never displeased with what he gave her; and his irritation with her impatience would be quickly quelled by the smile on her face._

_- "Mikkos—"_

_He placed his finger over her lips before she could protest._

_- "Just do it… please."_

_Making a face at the man, Helena slowly rose from her seat, closed her eyes, and allowed him to lead her from the terrace through their bedroom, and down the long hall leading to the grand staircase. When they reached the top of stairs, Mikkos gently squeezed her hand._

_- "Open your eyes, darling."_

_And standing at the bottom of the steps was his younger brother returning to their home after completing his studies at university. Helena smiled at the young man who was not only their son's godfather, but also would have also been their daughter's, had she lived; in fact, they had given the dead child her godfather's middle name. As she was an only child, she viewed him as her younger brother._

_- "I know that isn't who I believe it to be. That is not Andreus Alexei Cassadine returning to us after such a long time away from us."_

_He slowly mounted the stairs smiling at the woman who had made his brother happier than he had ever seen. Having stayed with the couple over summer holidays, he was able to forge a strong friendship with the woman. As he would have his brother, he confided in her his relationships with women at his university, his desires of finding someone who would make him even the tiniest bit happy as she made his brother, and any other thought that may have crossed his mind. Not having another place to go, as their parents had died some years earlier, he always looked forward to the time he would spend with his brother's family._

_- "Well, I don't know who else it could possibly be, Helena, if it is not I."_

_She met him halfway down the stairs, throwing her arms around him._

_- "You have gotten more handsome… perhaps more so than your brother."_

_Mikkos cleared his throat._

_- "If only he were half as handsome as I, Layna."_

_She turned to wink at the man standing at the top of the stairs smiling at them as he continued to hold their sleeping son in their arms. _

_- "If only."_

_She gave the young man a kiss on either cheek before once again wrapping her arms around him._

_- "Welcome home, Alexei."_

_Andreus laughed at the woman's continued insistence on calling him by his middle name; it made her feel closer to her daughter._

_- "It's good to be home."_

_**End of Flashback**_

Feeling a tear roll down her cheek, Helena quickly wiped it away before returning to the room where her illegitimate sister continued to sleep. She had never accepted the woman as a part of her family, but it seemed that now she would have to make some changes, if only for the time being.

* * *

Alexis held tightly to her daughter, rocking her in her arms as they both cried. She could not continue down the emotional rollercoaster that had begun her life. She could not raise the girl in fear of everything and everyone that moved. She could not continue to hurt her as she had; she was no better than Evelyn and to some extent Helena.

- "Sammy?"

She passed her hand over the child's cheek. With every tear that moistened her hand, she felt guilt burn into her skin for causing the girl such pain. Over the past month she had watched all the physical signs of the McCalls' existence fade from her daughter's life. The black and blue bruises that had riddled her tiny body disappeared; her broken bones, cut face, and concussion had all healed. And yet, while all remnants of the worst time in Sam's life washed away, she found herself replacing it with something worse.

- "It's okay, I'm here with you. I'm not letting you go."

She had scarred her to the bone with an emotional pain from which she was not certain the child would ever recover.

- "Honey, please talk to me. Let me know that you're still with me. Let me know… _please._"

But Sam could not bring herself to say a word as she clung onto the woman. Having seen her on the floor unable to be awoken, Sam was certain she was in a dream from which she did not want to wake. Her mother, although clearly upset and pleading for her to speak, was there. She held her in her arms. She told her she was loved. She was still there. Sam was not ready to return to what she believed was her reality.

- "Chipmunk, Mommy needs to get you cleaned and she needs to change."

She blushed at the scattered memory she had of her psychotic break in front of both Stefan and Mikkos. It pained her to think that they had seen the disgusting way in which Stavros had scarred her; surely in seeing it, Stefan had figured out what she had locked away in her mind for so long. He had to know.

- "Come on, baby."

She attempted to move Sam from her lap so that she could stand, but the girl let out a sob as she readjusted herself and wrapped her arm around Alexis' neck.

- "Sam, Mommy's in a little bit of pain; she's not going to be able hold you."

But the sound of her daughter's cry as she pressed her face into her neck, gave Alexis the strength to slowly rise from the floor. Holding the blanket around her with one hand, she balanced the girl with the other; she was unconcerned with Sam's soiled pajamas pressing against her arm. She simply wanted to hear her voice to know that she had not completely broken her.

- "Ok, chipmunk, I've got you, but I need to get you out of these clothes and into the tub. Can you just—"

Without allowing her mother to finish her statement, which would undoubtedly request that she release her, Sam tightened her grip on the woman as she continued to whimper.

Alexis sighed; she knew there would be no detaching the girl from her. While standing in place alleviated the throbbing in her body, she struggled as she walked to the tub. She slowly leaned forward so that she could turn on the faucet to run a warm bath.

- "Um, you're going to have to work with me here, honey. You cannot stay in these clothes. Can you… um… can you just let one arm go just so I can take your nightgown off, and then switch arms so I can get it over your head. Can you do that for Mommy? She'll still hold you; she just needs your help. Okay?"

Sam began to wonder if it were wise to believe that the woman's presence was a reality, however the longer she held her, the less weary she became that she lived in a dream. Slowly nodding her head, she released her arm long enough to allow Alexis to free her arm from the nightgown.

- "That's my good girl. Now, the other one."

She repeated the same process with her other hand until her mother completely removed her nightgown.

- "Baby, please talk to Mommy."

Sam simply sighed as she allowed her mother to finish undressing her.

- "Chipmunk—"

Alexis kissed the back of her head feeling as the girl began to shiver in her arms. She attempted to put her into the warm water, but when Sam refused to release her, she decided to sit with her. She easily removed the throw that covered her, and stepped into the tub with her. Still holding onto the terrified child, she carefully lowered herself to a seated position, welcoming the warmth of the water against her aching and bruised body. She cupped her hand into the water and poured it over her daughter's back.

- "I know you're scared, honey, but you're making me scared by not speaking to me. Just… just let me know… let me know that you're… that you… oh, I don't know… just let me know _something_."

While she no longer hid her face in the woman's neck, she had turned her head to stare at the bathroom door almost waiting for someone to take her away again… or shake her from her dream.

- "Are you dead?"

She gasped at the girl's question knowing that such was the weight on her mind.

- "Sweetheart, look at me."

Since she had calmed, Sam had avoided looking at her. She had averted her eyes, buried her face, and finally stared elsewhere; she did not want to look at the woman who felt and sounded like her mother, only to be disappointed when she realized that it was a faceless person pretending for her benefit to be the person that she wanted and needed. Alexis had told her that her parents had died when she was younger; she had told her that she did not remember them… she did not remember her mother. What if the same happened to her? What if in her mother's death, all thoughts and memories… disappeared? Sam could not face the faceless person. She could not accept such a blow to her psyche. She needed her mother to be who she still remembered her to be. She needed her memory intact.

- "I can't."

Alexis could hear the fear in her daughter's voice. She was afraid of her. It broke her heart.

- "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry. I love you so much… and… and I keep… I keep hurting you. I keep making you cry—"

She wanted terribly to wipe the tears that ran down her mother's face and hit her back, but her fear held her back.

- "You don't make me cry… Mommy."

The sound of the final word brought more tears to her eyes.

- "Mommy loves you so much. You are such a gift to her; do you know that?"

Still unable to look at her, Sam slowly nodded her head as she continued to stare at the door. The dream was going on for too long… perhaps it was actually real.

- "You… _scared _me."

Alexis covered her mouth as she felt a sob escape from her lips. She did not deserve her. Sam did not deserve to live in such a way. She deserved better.

- "I'm so sorry, chipmunk… I'm so… so… sorry."

Closing her eyes, Sam finally turned her head so that she could face the woman in whose arms she was held. She slowly reached up and passed her hand over her face. She felt her mother's high cheekbones, the slight roundness at the tip of her otherwise pointy nose, and the flutter of her full eyelashes. There was a face. And it was one that she recognized.

She finally found the strength to open her eyes and look at her. She stared at the woman's face for a long time searching for the person who chased her nightmares away, rather than caused them. She wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

- "Mommy?"

Alexis heard the uncertainty in Sam's voice; it was as though the girl could not believe that she was actually there with her. She kissed the top of her head as she slide further into the water.

- "Yes, baby?"

Sam reached and held her mother's locket in her hand as she once again rested her hand onto her shoulder. She was getting worse. She had previously seen her meltdown, the looks of terror on her face for absolutely no apparent reason, and then the long showers afterwards. She had seen them all, but never before had the woman reacted as she did, and certainly not in front of a complete stranger, or even to that extent when her cousin, Stefan, was present. She was getting worse and if Stefan could not save her, there was nothing _anyone_ could do for her.

- "I don't want you to die like your Mommy and Daddy. I don't want to be alone. I don't want Cousin Stefan's daddy to take me away again. I only want you."

She wanted nothing more than to promise the girl that things would not turn out as they had for her so many years prior, but she could not do it. She knew and had already told her that she could not and would not make such a promise. All she could do was promise to be better.

- "Oh sweetheart, I only want you too."

* * *

Stefan moved from his seat back to the bar; he needed another drink. His head hurt from the concern he felt for Alexis and Samantha.

- "So these people—"

Mikkos continued.

- "They wanted her, but I had already the custody papers in my possession when I informed them that I would be returning to Greece with Natasha."

Stefan continued to shake his head in revulsion.

- "And it was to those people you have the child…"

He cleared his throat.

- "You gave _Samantha _to them."

Mikkos reached once again for the file. He looked at the photos of the baby. She was as beautiful as he had remembered. When he held her for the first and the last time, he had considered allowing the teen to keep her, but he knew the repercussions. Alexis was a teen still needing to finish her education; she was too inexperienced to care for her. He knew that he would never be able to keep the baby in his home; not if he wanted to preserve her safety.

- "As I had done with Alexis to them, they sent to me each month, pictures of the baby, along with letters about her progress until… I learned of their deaths in the house fire."

Anger continued to rage within him. His father was a selfish monster. Regardless of how much he claimed to be fulfilling his dead brother's wishes, it did not mean anything when Mikkos allowed so much harm and sorrow to befall the man's daughter. Mikkos Cassadine was neither hero nor innocent.

- "So you would have me believe that these people took this baby in without wanting to even see or perhaps take Alexis in as well?"

- "YES! Stefan, I am not the monster you seem convinced in making me. Things are far more complicated than you understand!"

Stefan pressed on; he would not allow his father to guilt him from receiving the answers to his questions. He would not continue to watch Alexis crumble to pieces without some form of reason.

- "She was sixteen, Father! Yes, it was imperative that she complete her education, but she also wanted her child! Why didn't you let her have her baby and her _family _who clearly loved and wanted _her_? Why did you insist on hurting her? What has she EVER done to deserve any of this?"

He watched as a single tear rolled down the younger man's cheeks. Aside from moments in his infancy, Mikkos had never seen Stefan cry; he had always held a sense of gallantry in his presence, being more like man than a boy, teen, and eventually an actual man. This sign of weakness shocked him.

- "I did not intend to hurt her. All I've ever wanted to do was protect her… _all_ of you—"

Stefan quickly wiped it away.

- "I never needed your protection."

And yet he had been protected. Mikkos had protected him from the moment he had come to be.

- "Fine. But you must know that I never meant for any of this to happen. I could not allow Alexandra to live with those people because she was no longer the little girl that they had known. Natasha Cassadine had died the day her parents and she were struck in that accident. They were not her family—"

- "Yes they were."

Staring at the man who resembled no only his wife and his brother, but also his maternal grandfather, Mikkos realized he could no longer keep such a burdensome secret. It was Stefan's, as much as Alexis'… and Samantha's.

- "No, Stefan; they, Alexis and Samantha, are _your _family."

The younger man returned to his seat. It was evident that Alexis and Samantha were his family, yet it seemed there was more to his father's statement.

- "Of course they are, and I am theirs. That, however, does not explain anything."

- "It explains _everything_, Stefan. It explains why I brought Alexandra into our home, why I accepted the task of ripping her from those people's arms, and why now, upon looking at Samantha, I know her to be the very same beautiful baby I later handed to that couple."

Stefan, shocked by his father's previous statements, nevertheless took a shot of his drink before responding.

- "And how, pray tell, do you know this? How do you know anything about that traumatized child when you have her death records before you?"

Mikkos once again looked at Stefan; he had begun to see him in a new light. He was certain the man before him had been there all along; but Mikkos had allowed his identity to dictate his… _existence_. Staring at Stefan who seemed to never falter in anything he did for his family, Mikkos felt a profound sense of regret for his indifference and callous attitude toward the younger man.

- "Because of this."

He stood and walked to the briefcase he had placed beside the sofa. He opened it and handed the man the yellowed handwritten letter his brother had written.

- "What is this?"

Mikkos stood in his place waiting for Stefan to read what was written.

- "Read it."

Stefan unfolded the paper.

_My Brother,_

_I've found myself unable to sleep because my mind thought only of you today. You would not know this, but today is my daughter Natasha's fourth birthday. She is beautiful. I never believed that once I left our home… your home… in shame, that I would ever find someone who would love me. I never thought I could love. But I do. I have a wife, a daughter, and in-laws; I have a family._

_Today, as I walked with my wife and daughter through the park, I bumped into my past and shame immediately filled me for what I had done. There are no words that I could ever say that would make you forgive me; I know this. But, for the first time, in that encounter, I realized and learned of the product of my shameful conduct. He lifted my pride from the ground, smiling as he left his mark on me following like an abandoned puppy the past I wish I could change. He had no one. Mikkos, I lived such a life of loneliness, but that was through faults of my own, not that of others. _

_I hope that he is loved in spite of who he is because he is an innocent. Do not make him pay for the sins of his father. I do not have a right to ask anything of you, but I will ask you this: let him be loved._

_Yours,_

_Andreus. _

Stefan reread the letter attempting to make sense of it. When he could not, he looked back to the man who had remained standing some feet away from him.

- "What does this mean?"

They said lightening never struck the same place twice, but he knew better. Looking at the confused man as he again looked down at the page, Mikkos let out a breath as he braced himself for the revelation he would make.

- "I know Samantha is Andrea, Stefan, because Alexis is… your sister."

Stefan felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. Alexis, the woman he had already viewed as his sister, for whom he would have given his life, in whom he had found love, family, and friendship, was whom he had believed her to be from the moment he had first knowingly met her in their family's library. Rereading the letter in a new light, he recalled the day he had first seen her in the tourist-filled London park eighteen years prior. He had been drawn to her; he wanted nothing more than to dry her tears after his mother had negligently caused her to fall. She was… his sister.

- "How? How does this tie me to Samantha? How does this—"

But before he could continue to question the man he had all along believed to be his father, a man who had no interest in him and who had allowed his mother, for no apparent reason, to hate and neglect him, a door opened behind him.

- "Father, I apologize for interrupting, but I can no longer pretend to sleep from all the noise. I am hungry."

Stefan quickly stood to face his son.

- "It's alright, Nikolas."

- "May I have a glass of milk, please?"

The boy stepped further into the room. He finally noticed the man standing in the room staring at him.

- "Oh, excuse me. Good evening sir."

Mikkos looked from Stefan, to the boy, and then back to the older man.

- "This is your son?"

* * *

**Happy Halloween! **


	24. Poison

_Anyone who knows me knows that I am not one to typically back down from anything. I hold firm to the ground that I have decided to take. However, as some of you took this decision quite strongly and after discussions via PM and openly (I am concerned only with those who left mature replies), I've decided to continue to post the fic. Although I still vehemently disagree with those who never review, I do see the other side's viewpoint as well. As a person with a voice and quite opinionated__ (likes AND dislikes), it is not easy for me to understand how people do not have the same desire to share their thoughts. As long as its respectfully done, I am all for giving a full opinion. I do not need a pat on the back. If you hate something, say it. You're entitled to your opinion here; being quite thick skinned, I welcome it.  
_

_That said, was it mean to pull the story as I did right in the middle? I do not think so, but I can see why many of you felt as though it was. While I remain unapologetic, I will say that I am a bit more understanding. _

_Truce.  
_

UNEDITED.

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Poison**

First wrapping herself, then Sam, in a towel, Alexis lifted the girl into her arms. Carefully stepping out, she leaned against the bathroom wall for a moment; she needed to find the words and the strength to pull herself together. She needed to figure out her next move… figure out how she would keep Sam from falling apart alongside her… figure out how she would keep herself from breaking further into millions of irreparable pieces because in seeing her child afraid of taking a simple breath, she knew they could not continue to live in such a way. She could not do this to her daughter.

- "Do you… do you feel better, baby?"

Sam, who had once again rested her head onto her mother's shoulder, passed her finger along the woman's arm. Seeing the discoloration forming from where she had bitten her, she began to cry. She hated that she had hurt the person who, in spite of the fear that she at times unintentionally caused to fill her, had given her such joy. She did not deserve it.

- "I'm sorry, Mommy."

Setting Sam onto the bathroom counter, Alexis gave her a kiss on the top of her freshly washed head. Using her thumbs to wipe her fallen tears, she cupped her hands around her daughter's face as she then placed a gentle kiss onto her button nose.

- "Mommy isn't mad at you. She knows that you were scared. Okay?"

She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand as she tearfully nodded.

- "Can we…"

Having a request, but already knowing the answer, with a sigh, Sam turned away from the woman.

- "Forget it."

Alexis, however, bent to look into her eyes.

- "Honey, what is it? Tell Mommy."

Raising them to meet the loving ones belonging to her mother, Sam felt the tears once again begin to well.

- "I know you said no, but… can we… can we go hoooome? Plee-eease? He scares me… and you're… _you're_… _scary _here, too."

She whispered the final part of her statement knowing how painful the words would be to her mother… but they were true.

- "I don't wanna stay here anymore, Mommy. I just wanna go home!"

In spite of Alexis' continuous tears, sudden gasps of fright, when unbeknownst to the child Stavros had appeared and attempted to touch the woman, and cries for help in her sleep, Sam had never before feared her. The girl, having nightmares and torments of her own, simply thought the woman's own distress overwhelmed her. Where she would uncontrollably urinate on herself, her mother cried and showered more times than the average person; it was normal. But what had happened that night was not; and it terrified her more than words could ever truly convey. She could not continue to stay somewhere that brought about such terrifying actions in her mother. She was afraid of enough things, she could not also be afraid of her.

- "_Please_."

Alexis let out a sigh knowing that after everything that had occurred that night, for the sake of Sam's emotional stability, she could not deny her request. Regardless of the bad memories the apartment might have held, the trauma she had just suffered was nothing in comparison. Her fears had worsened; they were debilitating. They had to leave.

- "Ok, but—"

Grabbing another towel, she dried Sam's wet hair as she nodded.

- "—we'll go first thing in the morning. We can't leave tonight. Okay? As soon as we wake up in the morning, we'll go home."

While she would have preferred to leave that instant, she accepted her mother's compromise with a hug; after all, the night scared her… it scared them both.

- "Thank you, Mommy."

Alexis kissed the top of her head as she lifted her from the counter and into her arms.

- "You're more than welcome, chipmunk; I would do anything for you, you know that. Now, let's get into our pajamas, okay?"

Knowing they were returning to the scene of the crime, Sam tightened her hold around her mother as she buried her face into the woman's neck.

- "Baby, it's okay—"

Shaking her head, Sam tearfully looked at the woman.

- "You wont leave me? You'll stay with me even after I go back to sleep? You won't let him take me?"

She wondered when the time would come when she would not have to consistently reassure her daughter. She prayed for the day when they could finally be a normal mother and daughter.

- "He's not coming to take you."

- "You promise?"

Walking back into their bedroom, Alexis was shocked to find the mirror that had unlocked every door to her memory, shattered. It was as though the structure in which the false memories and the lies she had been told, had finally collapsed from the weight of the realization that most everything she had thought about the people in her life was a lie. Knowing what she now knew, however, she knew Stefan… her beloved _brother_… had been the culprit; he had, in a rage of emotion, shattered the mirror. She wondered if he knew. She wondered if his own mirror had come apart… or would she have to do it for him.

- "Baby, I will not leave you for a single minute. He will _not _hurt or take you. I'm sorry he scared you like that."

Shamefully, tears rolled down the girl's eyes.

- "I had an accident on him."

She could not say she was shocked… and secretly, she was happy; it served him right. But, she could imagine how mortified her daughter had been by the act; it was a horrible déjà vu, except with a complete stranger.

- "Oh baby, don't worry about it. I promise you that he isn't a bad man. He's not going to be mad because he probably knows how much he scared you."

- "Promise?"

She believed every word she told her daughter; her uncle was not the culprit. It was true; Mikkos had his faults, but just as the rest of them were, he was a creature of circumstance… _horrible_ circumstance. He did what he could and what he thought was right. She could no longer fault him because she realized he had only wanted to protect them.

- "I do, chipmunk; I promise you that he isn't mad. – Now, I'm going to put you on the bed, okay? I don't want you to get off of it because there's broken glass on the floor."

Sam nodded.

- "But you won't leave, right?"

As she carried Sam to the bed, Alexis thought of ways she could reassure her. It was a lot to ask, she knew; but she needed her daughter to believe in her.

- "Honey—"

She sat her on her lap. Running her fingers through Sam's dark and still damp hair, she continued.

- "No. I'm just going to go right over there."

She pointed across the room where their bags sat underneath and on top of the desk. It was a mere ten feet from where they sat, but to Sam, it seemed like a mile. Noticing her trepidation, Alexis gave the girl a squeeze.

- "It'll be less than one minute, chipmunk. I'm going to grab our pajamas and then you're going to be a big girl and change into yours by yourself while Mommy does the same. Okay?"

Tightly shutting her eyes, Sam clutched her mother's towel as she leaned into her.

- "What if he comes in when you're over there? You might fall down again and Cousin Stefan, he won't be able to help you. Mommy, don't go… _please_."

Seeing her daughter continuing to regress further into herself, Alexis decided to put an end to the power the past had taken over their lives. Because of… _him_… she was broken and abused. And because of _that_, she was witnessing a downward shift in her six-year-old's already emotional state. He had caused not only her to be damaged, but her baby girl, as well. The cycle needed to end. Seeing Sam, even at her tender age, struggle to gain some form of independence away from her, Alexis resigned herself to finally pick up the pieces of their lives, dysfunctional as they might have been, and fix them… both.

- "Honey, come on, open your eyes. It's just you and me here."

Sam slowly did as she was told; tears once again welled in her eyes.

- "Mommy, I'm scared when you leave me."

Covering Sam's face with kisses, Alexis rocked her in her arms. The stagnant state of permanent dependence in which she had allowed her daughter to remain proved dangerous to her well-being; the house of cards Mikkos had built for them had finally collapsed. The problem was that they were caught underneath the rubble; they were suffocating. Unless she pulled them out, they would surely die. The past had already taken too much from her; it would not take her child for a second time.

- "But, I'm not leaving you, chipmunk. I'm just going to quickly get our pajamas. Okay?"

- "Not a long time?"

She shook her head.

- "You can count to one hundred, right chipmunk?"

The girl slowly nodded her head as she once again reached for her mother's locket.

- "In English _and _Greek, Mommy."

Removing the necklace for the first time since she could remember, Alexis placed it around Sam's neck. She remembered her parents and the glimmers of the short time they had had together. While she had spent eighteen years without the woman's love, her beautiful spirit had remained; with every snuggle and kiss she shared with her daughter, beyond death, her mother did the same to her. The thought and the memory of the woman made her smile through the tears that filled her own eyes.

- "That's because you're my smart girl! Mommy is so proud of you! But you know what, baby?"

Resting her head against her mother's chest as she fiddled with the locket, Sam shook her head.

- "I'm going to be back by your side before you even reach one hundred! Okay?"

Not having any other choice but to trust her, Sam let out a sigh as she slowly moved Alexis' lap.

- "Okay."

Standing, Alexis bent forward and gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

- "That's my big girl. Now, make sure you stay on the bed."

As she moved to the bags, Sam, having finally opened the locket on her own, called out to her.

- "Mommy?"

- "Hmm?"

Staring at the pictures for a moment, she finally looked at the woman as she rummaged through the bag in search of their pajamas.

- "Can I have Belle, please?"

And the irony of the moment was that the child had no idea how fitting such a selection had been; for Belle had fallen in love with a beast.

- "Of course you can, baby."

Placing his hands onto Nikolas' shoulders, Stefan led the boy to their _guest_. Bending to kiss the top of his son's head, he stared at the man he had for thirty-four years known to be his cold, disinterested, and uncaring father. And now, he was his cold, disinterested, and uncaring _uncle_.

- "Father, I would like you to meet my son, Nikolas. Nikolas, this is your grandfather, Mikkos."

Being a miniature replica of his father, the young boy extended his hand to the man.

- "Hello Grandfather. It is a pleasure to meet you."

While, on occasion, he had inquired about the boy, Mikkos had never before seen him; after he had born, Stefan, taking Alexis with them, whisked him from the hospital and into their own home some miles away. Never a day had come when Stefan would bring the child to his parents; and in turn, not once had the unhappy couple requested a visit.

Seeing the gentlemanly manners instilled into the tall child he knew to be five year old, Mikkos gently, but firmly, shook his hand.

- "And you as well, Nikolas. You are quite handsome."

Dressed in a dark navy blue robe covering his striped light blue pajamas, Nikolas smiled gratefully.

- "Thank you, sir."

Mikkos was in awe of the boy's beauty that belonged not to the Cassadine family, but instead to his mother. Staring from Nikolas back to Stefan, the truth smacked him in the face; another brick had fallen from the unsteady structure that was his family's _home._

- "He looks every bit like his mother, and still—"

Without allowing him to complete his statement, Stefan smirked at the man.

- "Well, she was in fact quite beautiful. I thank God my son inherited every ounce of her beauty. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to prepare Nikolas a snack. Would you care for anything… _Mikkos_?"

Before he could respond, however, a knock was heard at the door. Stefan frowned at the late hour visitor, but nevertheless passed his hand over his son's head as he went to respond.

Opening the door slightly, he saw the hotel's security guard standing at the other side of the threshold. He was not surprised to find him there.

- "Good evening, sir."

The man attempted to push the door so that he could see the cause of the noise about which the guests had complained, but Stefan held firm; he had not reserved the most expensive suite along with two others for the children's tutor and Nikolas' nanny, for the worker to invade his space. As calm as he normally was, Stefan did not appreciate disrespect, especially from a subordinate.

- "How may I help you?"

The guard narrowed his eyes.

- "There've been complaints about noise."

Not wanting the man in his family's business, Stefan shook his head in ignorance.

- "Really? Hmm—"

- "Screams and cries, arguments… things being broken. Is everything alright in there?"

Without any indication of invitation into his temporary home, Stefan opened the door a little more so that the man could see there was nothing of concern. The last thing they needed was for the authorities to be involved.

- "I assure you sir, that we are all well. One of the children suffers from night terrors; she awoke in a fit of screams, but as you can see, we have it all under control. However, if it will appease your guests, I will gladly cover the expense for their stay here. Please extend our sincerest apologies to them. Good night."

Taken aback by the gentleman's stern, yet polite apology, the guard simply nodded and returned to the elevator; he would inform the front desk of Stefan's olive branch.

- "Well, that was rather simple."

Closing the door, he turned his attention back to his son and… _uncle_.

- "Nikolas, how does some toast and a glass of milk sound? Will that sustain you until morning?"

Having taken a seat on the couch as he watched his father speak with the guard, Nikolas stood upon his father addressing him.

- "Yes, Father."

Stefan handed two glasses to the boy.

- "I suppose I shall join you. Our dinner was rather… bland, don't you think? A certain embarrassment to the Greeks, yes?"

Nikolas quickly placed them onto the table before returning to the kitchen for the butter and butter-knife for their toast, as well as the pitcher of milk.

- "I'm still sorry I chose that restaurant. Is Samantha still sick?"

Watching the father and son so comfortably interact with one another, Mikkos could not help but feel a sense of regret that he not only never attempted to engage a young Stefan, but that he played no role in the way he turned out. This man, he had known since conception, was not his son; and in spite of the way he had fought for his life, he nevertheless allowed this knowledge to dictate their relationship. Bitterness filled him.

- "Samantha was ill?"

As his father had done, the boy stood beside him with his hands in his robe pockets. He admired the man more than anyone in the world; he hoped to grow up to be just like him.

- "Yes Grandfather. I wrongly believed that a restaurant in the States might have good food. It did not. Samantha vomited after dinner. I believe she might be upset with me. Do you think she is, Father?"

Noticing that his father… uncle… he had to remember that… and yet he could not, continued to stare at them, Stefan found himself growing increasingly more uncomfortable. It was still a reality that he had not fully been able to grasp. How could he have been so hated, and yet the product of an affair? Why were they both, he and his… _sister…_ hated?

- "No son, she is not, but she might not be herself in the morning; just know that it is not because she is cross with you. Alright?"

The boy had grown accustomed to his cousin's emotional state; she was a girl, after all.

- "Perhaps Cousin Alexis can watch a fairy tale movie with her? I suppose if it will make her feel better, I can join them. I won't tell her how stupid they are."

Stefan laughed at his son's remark; his decision to move to the states was one of his better ones. He could see with every day Nikolas spent with Samantha how wonderful of an influence she was on him. She made him more social, even if it was with only her, and more like a five year old, than thirty year old man.

- "That's because you are a wonderful cousin, agoraki mou. Now, let's eat so that we can return to bed. – Mikkos, have you reserved a place for the night? Actually, how long will you be staying in the States?"

Mikkos knew that he had neglected to inform both Alexis and Stefan of Helena's presence somewhere in the State, but he had already put enough at their doorsteps for the night; seeing as she had yet to make her presence known to them, it did not seem likely she would arrive earlier than the next day. He would speak to them in the morning when things had hopefully calmed.

- "No, in my… haste, I neglected to do so. However, I will go down to the front desk and reserve one right—"

Stefan held up his hand in protest. As disgusted as he was with the man, he was better than him; his chivalry would always trump his repulsion.

- "No, that's quite alright. You may take Nikolas' room—"

Knowing the suite had only two bedrooms, Mikkos objected; he would not put the man out further than he had his entire life.

- "I cannot accept—"

- "Believe me, I have somewhere else I would like to be tonight. Please take the room; I insist."

Watching the man he should have treated as his son rather than a memory of what should never have been, Mikkos reluctantly nodded.

- "Fine, but only for a night. If I remain longer than a day, I will reserve a room."

Stefan simply nodded his head as he turned his attention back to his son; he could not think past the evening to concern himself with what reason the man would have to remain longer than a day. His life had been turned upside-down; yet at the same, the way he had always imagined it to be.

For every moment she was unable to be on the road to clean the taint from her son's memory, she felt a heavier weight of despair fill the part of her heart where she continued to hold him dear. She lied on the bed feeling as though her world were spinning about her, but she could not catch up to it. Everything was moving too fast, and yet too slow. Things she had wished were gone, had _thought_ gone, and never to reappear again, had… resurrected. Why could that not have been the case for her son? Why did he have to die? They, her _family_… the thought made her sick to her stomach… no, they were merelythe people she was made to share dwelling (not even a home)… they thought only ill-thoughts of him in life, and cursed him even in death; but, they never understood him. He, her husband, never allowed them to; he kept it all hidden on the top of that rickety shelf filled with their family secrets.

_**Flashback**_

_- "I don't want you to leave again."_

_He stopped packing his overnight bag to walk over to her. She was fidgety and clearly upset; he had never seen her act in such a way._

_- "Layna, I am only leaving for a day. I will return in the morning."_

_He was leaving for a series of afternoon meetings in the States. He would board his private jet in less than hour, fly across the Atlantic Ocean for seven hours, attend five or so hours of meetings, then, as promised, he would return to her and their son. It had been, despite the heaviness in hours and the toll it would take on his body, discussed and planned that way. Being a man of his word, he would return to her as requested._

_She shook like a leaf in his arms._

_- "Come on, darling; what is going on with you?"_

_But she could not tell him. She could not tell him for fear that he might kill his brother; he was the only family her husband had left. She would not put the misguided young man's blood onto her husband's hands._

_- "Please, Mikkos? Don't leave. Have one of your partners go in your place. Stay with Stavros and me. We can… we can… go back to the beach house for the weekend. You know how much he loves that, and we haven't been back since Andreus arrived. We can—"_

_The more she spoke… pleaded… with whom, the more worried he became. His wife was, on a normal day, tough as nails; nothing frightened the woman. And yet, there she stood before him, white as a sheet and on the brink of a breakdown. This was not normal._

_- "Sweetheart, you know that I cannot do that; at least not today. As the president of Cassadine Industries, I have to attend these meetings—"_

_Hearing his refusal, she pulled away from his arms. All he did was leave her; if it were not one week, it was the two weeks after that. She spent more time alone than in his arms. Their son did not know him, not the way he should have known his father. And Mikkos did not know Stavros. As deeply as she loved the man, their home was no longer a home; it was a house, filled with strangers._

_- "Fine."_

_And as much as she needed him to know… to know… she could not find the words._

_- "Just go."_

_**End of Flashback**_

As she lied in the bed, curled into a ball with tears streaming down her face as she waited for daybreak, she wished she had. That night had changed everything.

The evening's emotions had taken its toll on her. Her body not only physically ached, but it was physically exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to have sleep find her, but her daughter's continued awaken state put an end to any such thought. She could not very well shut her eyes and drift into another universe where her world was far less complicated, when the person for whom her world existed remained trapped in their horrible day.

- "Close your eyes, chipmunk."

They had lied in bed for twenty minutes, but in spite of her obvious exhaustion, Sam had refused to make any effort to fall back asleep. Although Alexis had promised her that she would not leave her side for a moment, the child still could not bring herself to face the nightmares that would undoubtedly taunt her; she knew they would worse that night than ever before. She was terrified… of wake… of sleep… of everything.

- "I don't want to."

Laying her head on her mother's chest as she held Danny close to her, she looked up at the woman.

- "Evelyn—"

Alexis shook her head.

- "Baby, she's only in your dream; she's not coming anywhere near you. And remember what you told me earlier tonight? Huh?"

She ran her fingers through Danny's plush fur, as she nodded her head. She whispered her response so that no one, invisible or otherwise, would hear her.

- "You make her go away."

Rocking the girl gently in her arms, Alexis gently caressed the girl's tiny arm. With every movement, she could feel her relaxing; the tension of the evening began to lift from her petite body.

- "That's right, sweetheart. She will not hurt you. She will not touch you. It's just a horrible dream of a horrible person, but you have me to save you… _always._ And you have Cousin Stefan, too. You trust him, right?"

She did. He had proved that night, when her mother was unable, that he would be there for her. He had earned a place of complete trust with her.

- "Uh-hmm. Danny does, too. And Nikolas… and _you_, right Mommy? You're not mad at him anymore?"

She thought about the man who had, before Sam's arrival, held the largest piece of her heart. He had, without any cause or reason- that she had known of at the time, immediately taken her under his own fragile wing. He, a twelve-year-old boy, had befriended a terrified and shy four year old. He made her feel as though he were the only friend she would ever need in life. And in truth, he was the only friend that she had ever wanted.

- "I can never stay mad at him, chipmunk. No matter what."

Sam looked up at her mother. The look of fear and craze that had covered the woman's face had disappeared. Instead, she could see, despite the nap she had taken earlier in the day, a fatigue not from a desire to sleep, but… oh, what did she know? She was only a child.

- "You scared him, too."

She leaned forward to give the girl a kiss on her forehead. She was too smart for her own good.

- "I know."

While she wanted to stop for she saw the pain the night had caused the woman, she could not. She was afraid to close her eyes for fear that it would happen again… and again… and it already had. This was just the worst of them all. And that scared her most of all.

- "You were crying a lot."

She wanted to stop the girl from speaking about the horrible night, but she could not; she could not allow Sam, as Mikkos had done to her, to repress it. It happened. And they would work through the pain together. There would be no more hiding.

- "Mommy was _very _sad. She was remembering something very bad that happened to her."

Sam traced the letters in the woman's t-shirt as she continued to gather her thoughts. Her mother had crawled about the room like a wounded animal, screaming and pleading for the one person she claimed to trust so deeply, not to touch her, and to get away from her. The woman had become something that she, in her six years of life, could not grasp. The word possessed had not yet found its way into her bilingual vocabulary.

- "Why… why did you… take all your clothes off? Cousin Stefan tried to stop you, but you wouldn't listen, Mommy. He was looking at you… and… and then… and then he started crying, too."

If she broke again, who would save her from Evelyn? From Stefan's daddy?

- "Nikolas said Cousin Stefan's not scared of anything, Mommy; but… but you _scared_ him."

She tightly squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears. She was afraid that if she broke… if she allowed even a single tear from escaping, guilt would fill her daughter. And it would handicap the girl into total repression, further regression, and complete regret. Despite the pain of every word, statement, and unanswerable question posed to her, Alexis took a breath as she concentrated on her love for her child, rather than the shame that filled her.

- "I… I … know. I didn't mean to scare you or to scare Stefan, or make him cry, sweetheart. Mommy was just… she was just… scared, too. She… _I_… I was…"

And then she looked into the girl's confused eyes. How could she explain to a six year old child that all that she had believed in her life had been a lie? How could she tell the girl that the reason she existed was due to a desire of an insane man-child's loyalty to his mother? How could she tell her beautiful little girl that the blood that ran through her veins was concentrated with venom? There was so much she wanted to tell her daughter to help her understand, but she could not. As terribly as Sam wanted to know, and perhaps even help, her, it was not her place to shoulder such a burden.

- "Um… do you remember when you had casts on your arms and your leg?"

Of course she did.

- "Uh-hmm."

Taking Sam's free hand, not the one that gripped Danny, but instead the one had used to trace the letters of her Yale t-shirt, and gently kissed it.

- "And do you remember how Cousin Stefan used to call your arms broken wings?"

As Sam slowly nodded, she continued.

- "Well, right now, baby, Mommy is… she's a little broken too—"

- "But you don't have a cast, Mommy. You can take a bath."

Alexis let out a laugh as she took her daughter's face into her hands and gave her a kiss.

- "No, chipmunk, Mommy doesn't have a cast. And I know that it's a little bit confusing, but she's… she's broken on the inside."

- "Oh—"

Knowing the pain of a broken bone, Sam immediately attempted to move away from her mother, but Alexis held her firm in place. Sam was her cast.

- "It's okay, sweetheart; you're not hurting me."

She smiled in relief as she comfortably relaxed in her mother's arms.

- "Where are you broken?"

_Everywhere._

- "Oh, I don't… um… I guess… I guess my heart."

Seeing the look of terror in the girl's face, she quickly continued.

- "But, don't worry about Mommy, chipmunk; with you, and Nikolas, and Cousin Stefan, she doesn't feel so broken. She just needs… _I _need_—"_

Understanding in her innocent way, Sam finished her mother's sentence.

- "You need to get better? Like my arms and leg?"

She could see the sleep finally beginning to entire her tiny body. She hoped her night would not be riddled with nightmares for she had already given her one in her reality; her daughter deserved peace. Willing Sam's heavy eyes shut, Alexis caressed the girl's cheek.

- "Exactly like that, baby. Mommy just needs to get better… and she will. She promises you that. Everything will be better."

He watched as the man began to clear the dishes he and his son had dirtied while enjoying their snack. He was so good with the boy, a true father, one that he had never before witnessed; Mikkos wondered from where he had learned such caring and tenderness. It certainly was not from him.

- "May I help you with anything?"

Stefan tapped Nikolas as he pointed to the couch. As much as he hated Alexis' poor habit of falling asleep on a seat meant for visitors, he could see his son was succumbing to his exhaustion.

- "Go rest while I finish here, Nikolas; we'll go to bed shortly."

Not needing to be told twice, the boy immediately stood and sat on the couch. Stefan then turned to the man who had, for thirty years, claimed to be his father.

- "It's quite alright, thank you. You are my guest… of sorts… after all."

After placing the dishes into the dishwasher, he walked into Nikolas' bedroom to retrieve a few items he would need in the morning; Mikkos, of course, followed him.

- "I just want you to know—"

It was late, he was tired, and he needed time.

- "If you'll excuse me, _Mikkos_, but I cannot deal with this right now; I need to get my son to bed, and I need to check on my sister and niece."

As dejected as Mikkos felt in the cold hotel suite, he knew it was own doing. Despite how well-intentioned he might have been, nothing would make up for the effects his mistakes had had on the children. They had carried the burden of a past for which they were neither present nor responsible because he… he… he did not confront the past in its _presence_.

- "I'm sorry."

Walking towards the door, with a nod, Stefan turned to look at him.

- "Good night, sir."

And while the man clearly felt he no longer could call him father, Mikkos could see the ice that had formed between them from the moment of his birth, slightly thaw. He could not ask for more.

- "Good night, Stefan."

He walked back into the living room holding his son's toothbrush and a change of clothing for the next day. He placed the items onto the dining room chair before walking over to where Nikolas soundly slept. Sitting on the coffee table, he simply watched him. He watched as his long eyelashes fluttered, his lips pursed slightly, and his button nose flared slightly with each breath he took. While he was handsome in his waking hours, Nikolas was, as he slept, a beautiful boy; as it should have been, inside and out, he was every ounce his mother.

- "Alright, Agoraki mou—"

However, rather than wake him from his slumber, Stefan carefully lifted the mature boy into his arms. He felt as his son comfortably shifted his body into him, wrapping his arms around his neck, and resting his head onto his shoulder. Given the events of that evening, with his son in his arms, he finally felt somewhat at peace.

- "… time for bed"

He slowly walked toward the door where his newfound, but ever present, sister slept. Knocking softly, he waited for a response.

- "Come in, Stefan."

He smiled to himself as he opened the door; she knew him just as well as he knew her. Even the simple way in which he rapped on her door, or how she double blinked whenever tired, they could read each other better than anyone else ever could. Yet despite such a connection, neither picked up the reason. While both realized how hated they truly were by the people with whom they were forced to live, neither had ever attempted to learn why. And even though his _mother,_ on countless occasions, had called him a bastard, unwanted, and even a monster, he had never realized what he was. But now, it made sense.

- "Hi."

She lied on the bed holding a sleeping Sam in her arms. She held his niece the way she should have: as her mother. He admired the way Alexis protected the girl at all costs, even at the detriment of her own well-being. She put her daughter before all; and although he had always done so, that night, he admired her more than anyone else in the world.

- "Hi back."

Seeing as he held a sleeping Nikolas in his arms, she knew _their_ uncle had remained; her brother, even in his anger, was always a gentleman. Careful not to wake her own child, Alexis scooted over to one end of the King sized bed.

- "Need a place to rest your head… _brother_?"

Already on shaky ground since witnessing her breakdown, the typically strong man found himself, in that moment, unable to say another word. Instead, as a tear rolled down his face, he simply nodded.

- "Stefan—"

Knowing that she would offer him words of comfort, he shook his head.

- "Don't… _please… _Alexis."

Not wanting to upset him any further, she stopped speaking. It- whatever he knew- was a lot to take in; she did not want to speak more than she should have… just in case.

- "I'm sorry."

He gently put Nikolas onto the bed before slipping in. He watched as Alexis reached over and ran her finger over his face; despite his strong resemblance to his mother, the boy still had some features shared with his slightly older cousin. Stefan knew, when he had taken them both from the Cassadine home, that Nikolas would provide her some comfort in the loss of her daughter. He was right.

- "You… have _nothing _to feel… sorry for, darling. Nothing."

As she had done, he turned onto his side so that he could look at her for what felt like the very first time.

- "I should have known."

He reached over and held her hand as they locked eyes with one another finally realizing the connection that had drawn them to one another: he was her brother and she, his sister. From the moment he had met her, he had had an inherent need to protect and shield her from harm. For twelve years, he had known the pain and loneliness of living in a loveless home… and then there she was.

- "How _didn't_ we know? How didn't we _see_ it?"

A four year old girl had, with a single tear rolling down her cheek as she was left standing in the library, brought light into his dark world. She was, at that time, the greatest gift he had ever been given… but, as he stared at her holding onto her traumatized daughter while still attempting to keep her own sanity, he knew that _he _had been the worst gift _she _had ever received. And for that, he was…

- "I'm sorry."

But for his existence, she would not have been brought to the Cassadine home. She would have been able to stay with the people who had loved her more than themselves. She would have been with people who had wanted her. She would have been happy, normal, and flawlessly whole. If he had not existed, she would have been… _perfect_, or at least as close to perfection as she could have possibly achieved. She would have been better off not knowing him, than being his companion.

- "I'm _so _sorry, Alexis."

Her heart broke to see the man who had been her rock for most of her life harbor guilt over something over which he had no control. She wanted to tell him that he was not to blame, that he too was an innocent, but there was no point; he needed to feel whatever it was he was feeling. The Novocain Mikkos had given them their entire lives to numb the pain of the past, needed to wear off; they needed to begin to feel.

- "It's not your fault. It's _not_."

Holding onto her sleeping daughter with one hand, she stared into her brother's eyes for the first time, with the memories filling her brain, seeing a resemblance she had never once known. Just as she looked like her father, he did as well. And like she had been, he was hated for it.

- "I love you, Stefan… my big, wonderful, handsome, brother."

But, the difference between them was that she finally knew why. Having experienced such a surge of emotion, later quelled by that of love, she finally understood. Lying on the large bed, each of them holding the people who meant more to them than their own lives, poisoned blood flowed through their veins, connecting them forever.

**- "**I am _so_ blessed to have you."


	25. Nightmares and Dreams

Finals period has started. Need I say more? Exhaustion is not even the word.

Unedited.

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**Nightmares and Dreams**

_Hearing her muffled cries through the door, he snuck into the dark bedroom overlooking the family's burial grounds. He knew that his mother, or even worse, his brother, had filled the new resident's head with horrible stories of the room. The girl was four years old and had been in their home for less than a couple of hours, yet the pair had found cause to mistreat her; being a long time recipient of their disparate treatment, Stefan immediately sympathized with the girl._

_- "Alexandra?"_

_Tiptoeing closer to the bed, he could hear her hiccup as she cried herself to sleep._

_- "It's me, Stefan."_

_Not recalling which of the boys was which, and given the darkness of the room, the girl shook in fear; the older boy and his mother had already pinched and threatened her, respectively. Considering the soreness already in her body from an accident she did not recall, she did not want yet another bruise or ache._

_- "I didn't leave the bed. I listened. I was a good girl."_

_Hearing the fear in her voice, Stefan turned on the bedside light; perhaps she would recognize that he was on her side._

_- "Alexandra, do you not remember me? I showed you around the house upon you arrival."_

_She opened her eyes to look at him. Despite her memory loss in that she could not recall anything prior to the moment she and her Cousin had entered the house, Alexandra knew the boy to be exactly whom he claimed to be._

_- "Please don't tell her that I am still awake. She'll spank me."_

_Not even in the home a full day, and the girl was aware of the woman's temperament. Stefan shook his head._

_- "I would never do such a thing."_

_- "You wouldn't?"_

_He handed her a tissue he had taken from her bedside drawer._

_- "Please wipe your tears, Alexandra. –No, you have not done anything wrong. And even if you did, I still would not tell."_

_Only knowing him for a short time, she knew she could trust him. As most children were, Alexandra was intuitive; she saw the gentleness that existed in him._

_- "I don't think she likes me very much."_

_He scoffed._

_- "She doesn't like anyone… except for Stavros. Well, and Grandfather Cristoff, but he rarely comes to visit; she visits him with Stavros."_

_She frowned at his remark. She knew him to be, much like the mean boy, the woman's son; yet it was clear to her that her new friend was… neglected._

_- "What about you?"_

_He rolled his eyes as he began to walk about the large room; he did not want her to see the tears that had begun to well in his eyes at her recognition that he was deemed unimportant. He was a twelve year old boy who should not have been concerned with his mother's affection, and yet he was. For as long as he could remember, he was shunned and cast aside. He could not recall the last time he was hugged or kissed, told that he was loved or proud of, or simply acknowledge by either of his parents. Aside from the attention the staff, in pity, paid to him, he walked about the large home unnoticed. Regardless of how much he attempted to act as though it did not bother him, it certainly did. And she noticed._

_- "Forget it."_

_He quickly yawned to disguise his tears for the effect of the act. He then wiped his eyes before turning to look at her._

_- "No, it's quite alright. There is nothing really about me, Alexandra. I am… just quiet. Unlike Stavros, who feels as though he must make his presence known at every turn, I do not require much attention. Personally, I feel as though that might be better. I can get away with a lot more, and they would never be the wiser."_

_She could tell that he had been on the verge of crying, but that he did not want her to know it. To preserve his dignity, she let the moment pass to focus on her own troubles._

_- "I want my Mummy and Daddy."_

_He was grateful for the change in subject._

_- "Where are they?"_

_She shrugged._

_- "I don't know."_

_While he knew, from the moment, he had met her that he did not want her to leave for she provided him with a companion, he could see her upset; it broke his young heart. As limited as it might have been, he wanted to help her in any way her possibly could._

_- "Well, what do they look like? Perhaps we can… I don't know… attempt to find them for you?"_

_Once again she shrugged her shoulders. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he stared at her; she was not giving him much with which to work. He wanted to help her, but there was only so much he could do._

_- "Do you know anything, Alexandra?"_

_Letting out a sigh as she once again began to cry, she looked up at the boy._

_- "I'm all alone."_

_Despite the age difference between them, he could relate._

_- "Well—"_

_He sat on the bed beside her. Seeing the cuts and bruises all over her exposed arms, and the large bandage on her forehead, he gently took her hand into his own as he continued._

_- "I know I can't help you with much right now, but I can help you with this. You aren't alone… not any longer. You have me… if you want me."_

_He added the last part knowing that he was not a wanted boy. But he wanted her._

_- "I can be your friend."_

_The feeling was mutual. She rested her head against his arm until he instinctively move it and wrapped it around her tiny shoulders._

_- "I want you to be friend, Stefan. I'll be your friend, too."_

_Smiling to himself for making, for the first time in his life, a friend, he nodded._

_- "Very well, then. We're friends."_

It was six in the morning. He awoke with his son still in his arms while his hand continued to be interlaced with that of his sleeping sister's. He knew if he attempted to release it, she would awaken; and so he watched her sleep. She needed it; she had had a long and emotionally draining night. They both had, but this was the first time in a month in which she was able to truly rest. He could see the peace that replaced the terror of Stavros' unpredictable visits. He would not disturb it.

And so, he watched her sleep until he too returned to slumber.

_She was pregnant. She was fifteen years old and pregnant. She was a fifteen-year-old pregnant teen who had always been a loner; he was her only friend… and yet she was pregnant._ _How could such a thing happen?_

_- "Were you… raped?"_

_She gasped as she quickly moved away from him._

_- "NO! Stefan, NO! Don't… don't ever ask me something like that AGAIN! I wasn't raped."_

_The look of horror on her face was terrifying. He could not tell if it was an admission, or if she was simply shocked by his question. For the first time, in their lives together, he could not read the girl he had come to view as his sister. It hurt that such an event in her life had caused him to be somewhat of an outsider. While he did not expect her to give him every detail of her personal life, he certainly did not expect to learn of her… condition… in such a way. She should have told him, rather than surprised him when, after being concerned with her lack of responses to his emails and calls, he had decided to visit her. _

_- "It's a valid question, Alexandra! This is not you—"_

_She glared at him._

_- "What do YOU know about what I am, Stefan?"_

_The phrasing of her remark caught him off-guard._

_- "WHAT you are?"_

_She quickly corrected herself before he could further inquire as to what she meant… she did not even know what she meant. She had tucked away all memories of that night. However, it seemed as though a tiny piece of glass encasing a portion of that horrible moment in her life, had slipped from her mind's bookshelf and found its way to her lips._

_- "WHO I am. Who! You don't know WHO I am, Stefan."_

_He grabbed the box of tissues she kept at her nightstand. Holding it out to her, he walked over to where she stood._

_- "I know everything about you—"_

_Staring at the man with whom she had shared a horrible childhood in a loveless home, she felt the hot tears roll down her face. _

_- "No, you don't. You can't. Not when you…I… when I… don't even know anything about myself."_

_Something was wrong. She was keeping something big from him; and it was more than how she had gotten pregnant. _

_- "Alexandra—"_

_She shook her head._

_- "Just… just… leave me and my baby alone. Please."_

_He grabbed her face as he searched for the missing pieces to her story. Whatever it was she was harboring, it was slowly beginning to kill her… his best friend, cousin, and, as far as he was concerned, his sister._

_- "Let me help you."_

_She stared at him as the words of that night replayed in her mind. She felt her suppressed memories crashing into her mind. She had to leave. He could not know._

_- "Find a way so that I can keep and love her. That's all I ask, Stefan. Please."_

_He went to reach for her, but she quickly walked out of the room, slamming the door in her wake. _

It was seven o'clock in the morning. She awoke with her daughter tightly clinging to her, feeling the girl's breath hitting her arm with every inhalation and exhalation. She felt her fingers intertwined with his as he slept. Despite the awkward way in which they slept, they had both managed to maintain the connection. It spoke volumes of their relationship. Like he had, the previous evening, she questioned how she had allowed something so vital to remain locked away in her mind for so long. As she watched him sleep, it was obvious; she could see it… _him… _all over his face. She wondered how she had missed it for so long.

- "You deserved to be loved, too."

All sense of calm that now filled her seemed to have been stolen from him, as the anguish of learning that his life had been a lie, was evident on his face. She could tell, simply by the way he looked at her when he had entered the room several hours prior, that he had not the entire story; for if he had, he would have certainly… well, she did not know what he would done. But she was sure his emotions would not have allowed him to sleep beside her; his guilt would not have allowed it.

- "Mommy?"

She looked down to find her daughter looking up at her.

- "Good morning, baby."

- "Hi."

She ran her fingers up and down her daughter's back. She did not know what to expect from the emotional girl; however, given that she had not awoken once during the night, she felt somewhat optimistic.

- "Did you sleep well?"

The girl stretched slightly in her place as she let out a yawn. It was morning.

- "Uh-hmm."

Feeling a lack of space in the bed, she turned to look at the bed's other occupants before nervously playing with her mother's shirt; she was uncomfortable.

- "Nikolas is here… and Cousin Stefan, too."

Alexis finally released Stefan's hand so that she could snuggle with her daughter. While the action caused him to awake, he continued to keep his eyes closed so that she might be able to have a moment with Samantha. She did not know how she would explain to the girl that the man who scared her to the point of humiliation had spent the night; there would be no words to ease her stressed heart.

- "Yes, they are."

Despite her comfort with the two _boys_, given all that had happened, Sam would have preferred them elsewhere; she wanted only to be with her mother. Her embarrassment over the evening's events caused her cheeks to flush.

- "Why?"

Alexis saw this.

- "Oh… because… they were worried about you, sweetheart. They love you—"

She buried her face into her mother's side.

- "Can we go home now?"

Recalling the promise she had made to the girl, she nodded; she was regressing.

- "Yes—"

Pulling Sam further into her arms as she sat up, Alexis looked about the room. It would take much finagling, but she was certain she could, assuming Sam cooperated and walked beside her, carry all of the items out of the suite in one trip.

- "I didn't clean up the glass last night, so I need for you to stand in the bathroom like a big girl while I grab our things. Okay?"

The girl attempted to complain, but Alexis placed her finger over her lips.

- "Honey, you have to listen to Mommy. She's going to keep the door open so you can see her, but you have to be patient and wait for her where you won't cut your feet. I don't want you to get hurt."

Biting her lip, Sam nodded her head, prompting Alexis to kiss her on the top of the head.

- "That's my good girl."

She stood and carried the petite child into the bathroom, placing her right at the doorway where she could be seen. Although she would have liked to pack the bags so that they could simply grab them and leave at once, she knew Sam would grow restless and anxious all at once; and so instead she grabbed a couple of pairs of sweatpants, sweatshirts, and sneakers for them to wear. Stefan would undoubtedly bring their items to them later.

- "Ok, chipmunk—"

With clothes in hand, she approached the fretful girl.

- "Let's get changed, brush our teeth, and then we'll go home."

_

* * *

He apprehensively walked into their bedroom knowing the anger that raged within every fiber of his wife's being. She was angry with him… justly, but he had not any choice in the matter. His guilt over everything that had gone wrong in their lives was eating him alive. Accepting her was some form of redemption… a second chance at having a daughter… something… he did not know. He just… he had to take her._

_- "Helena—"_

_Daggers shot from her eyes as she glared at him._

_- "Get out."_

_He shook his head as he stepped further into the room. This was something they would have to discuss. There was no going back. His decision, like the one he had made twelve years prior, was final._

_- "Listen to me—"_

_She stood from the seat in which she sat in the corner of the room, far from the bed they shared. Despite the purchase of a new bed, and a change in rooms, she never felt comfortable in it. Regardless of where she was, her marital bed felt… tainted._

_- "You brought his child into my home—"_

_He interrupted her. She might have run the household and the staff, but he and his hard work had built such a life for them. Regardless of any mistake he had made, and they were plenty, he remained the head of the household. She would not take that from him._

_- "Our home, Helena."_

_But she did not hear him. Blinded by her tears, she moved along the walls of the room until she reached him._

_- "After what he—"_

_Again, he refused her the ability to speak._

_- "She's an INNOCENT, Helena! She needs a home... I couldn't leave her... I promised him!"_

_She furiously wiped her tears as she finally stood in front him._

_- "You promised me, Mikkos! You promised to love… me."_

_He caressed her wet face knowing that regardless of anything he did, her wounds would never heal. Again, it was his fault._

_- "I do, Layna."_

_She allowed him to hold her for amount… just a glimmer of a second… and then she looked up to find some form of reassurance… some memory of the love they had shared… but he was gone. _

_- "Don't touch me!"_

_He knew the side of vulnerability she displayed would not last, but he nevertheless hated to detach himself from her. He loved her with every fiber of his being, but for whatever reason, it never translated in all that he had done. It was as though he could not love another without significantly taking from the whole piece of his heart he kept for her. But he tried… and in turn, he failed her._

_- "I know you cannot possibly believe that! I love—"_

_She could not allow him to finish; the words hurt like a stabbing in her heart._

_- "No, you don't." _

_She moved to their bedroom door._

_- "If you did, you would not have made me raise... HAVE... him. If you truly loved me, Mikkos, you would not have done that to me. And now… now you want me to raise his other child—"_

_He had no other excuse for what he had done._

_- "They are—"_

_She had attempted to keep her voice low so that no other in their household could hear the nature of their argument, but he infuriated her. The children were not innocent; SHE was an innocent… and it did not matter to him. He did nothing to preserve that part of her._

_- "I don't CARE about them, Mikkos! Don't you understand that? What you've done… what you ALLOWED to be done—"_

_- "I did not know—"_

_She slammed her fist into the door._

_- "I BEGGED YOU TO STAY! But… but you… you left me. That isn't love. You don't love me. You NEVER loved me."_

_The pain radiated in her hand, but she did not care. It was nothing in comparison to the pain that ran through her entire body._

_- "Please… just… go."_

_Watching as she moved aside so that he could open the door himself, he nodded._

_- "If I had known—"_

_She did not want to hear it._

_- "Just… go."_

_He let out a sigh as he opened the door. _

_- "I do love you, Layna."_

_And standing on the other side was the person for whom her heart was completely given. The fourteen year old boy more attached to his mother than any normal teen his age, furiously glared at his father. He had heard, what Mikkos would later learn, everything._

He reached across the bed almost expecting to find her there. When he did not, he jumped from the bed. She was not there… but at the same time, she was.

* * *

They walked out of the bathroom hand-in-hand to find Stefan zipping their duffle bag; he had already placed one bag by the door. He smiled slightly upon seeing them; though Alexis could see the pain behind it.

- "You didn't have to do that, but thank you."

She attempted to release Sam's hand long enough to fully embrace the man, but the girl tightened her grip. Instead, Alexis wrapped one arm around him while her daughter took a step behind her hiding as though it were the first time she were meeting the man. Knowing Sam would be fine as long as she held onto her, Alexis focused her attention Stefan's broken heart; she whispered softly in French into his ear.

- "I don't blame you, Stefan. I don't."

He squeezed her tightly before kissing her gently on the cheek.

- "But I do."

She pulled away from him just enough so that her dark brown eyes inherited from their father met with the green eyes taken from his mother, a woman who hated him as much as Alexis loved Sam.

- "How can you blame yourself? You did _nothing_ wrong… but be born."

She could not continue knowing that he was now falling apart; she would not throw salt into his deep and infected wounds. She would not be the one… not now.

- "I love you, Stefan; you know that. I've loved you like a brother from the moment you walked into that dark room and held my hand until I feel asleep. I love _you_! And I don't blame you for something that you had _nothing_ to do with in the first place—"

He felt tears welling in his eyes as he looked past her to the terrified little girl who held her hand with one of her own, and wrapped her other arm around her waist as she hid from view. His sister was brought into their _home_ because his… _their… uncle_… pitied him… because his father knew from the moment that he had seen him that he was unloved. She was brought into a household where she would be brutalized and raped because no one else would love him enough… love _her_ enough… to realize that it was not what he would have wanted, and certainly not what she deserved.

- "I would have preferred to wait to know you than… than for you to… for _her—"_

She shook her head as she laid her finger onto his lips.

- "I wouldn't change a thing… not if it meant not having her… not if it meant you broken apart by those people. We're going to get passed this; and you know how I know this?"

He quickly glanced by the bed to ensure his son was still asleep; he could not shed a tear in front of him. He turned back to face her, feeling as she gently brushed away his tears.

- "How?"

He sounded so weak. For once, she would be his strength.

- "Because it's you, and it's me. That's why."

Stefan let out a sigh before kissing her once again on the cheek.

- "Are you sure you want to return to your apartment? Would it not be more prudent if I simply reserved a private room for you and Samantha?"

As tempting as the offer might have been, she and her daughter needed someplace familiar.

- "No… no… thank you. I think she and I would be much more comfortable at home."

- "What about—"

She shook her head; he was gone. She was sure of it.

- "It's okay; I think he… he served his purpose. He's not coming back."

Like the day he went to her when she needed him the most, but had been afraid to say a word, he could feel that there was more she wanted to tell him; yet, as though reliving a déjà vu, she would not. While he did not want to push her, he wondered if it had to do with him.

- "Alexis—"

Placing her hand onto his scruffy face, she smiled.

- "It's okay, Stefan. We're okay."

And not allowing him to say another word, she turned her attention back to her fragile daughter.

- "Come on, baby."

Unlatching the girl's tiny hand from around her waist, she lifted her into her arms. Sam immediately rested her head onto her mother's shoulder.

- "Are we going home now?"

Alexis looked at her brother as he continued to stare at her, waiting for her to tell him _what _he was. She could not.

- "Yes. Now, can you tell Cousin—"

His eyes lowered; it was as though he had been doubly rejected. He was the girl's uncle on both sides; yet despite his profound love for her, equal in match to that of his love for her mother, he remained a distant relation. Alexis saw it.

- "_Uncle _Stefan. Can you tell Uncle Stefan goodbye?"

Without questioning the change in the man's title, Sam slowly lifted her head to look at the downtrodden man.

- "Bye, Uncle Stefan."

As though meeting her for the very first time, he smiled.

- "May I give you a kiss, Samantha?"

She looked to her mother for guidance. Alexis nodded with a smile.

- "You know he won't hurt you baby. He loves you just like Mommy does."

Knowing it to be true, she impulsively went to reach for her mother's necklace, but quickly recalled that it was now around her neck. She held onto it as she looked back at the man.

- "Okay."

And so Stefan gently placed a kiss, for the very first time, onto his niece's cheek.

_

* * *

She sat on their bed drifting into a deep slumber as she held her two-year-old son in her arms. She had been feeding the boy, but at some point, she had allowed sleep to consume her. At some point, however, she felt her son lifted from her arms prompting her to awaken._

_- "Stavvy?"_

_Andreus put his finger to his lips as he placed the boy to the crib Helena kept in the corner of the room for moments such as those when her husband had left her alone._

_- "It's okay—"_

_Unfortunately, she was startled to find him standing there._

_- "Andreus! What are you doing in here?"_

_Enraged at his intrusiveness into her bedroom, she quickly closed her robe and covered the exposed breast from which he had taken the boy._

_- "Get out!"_

_The young man, ten years her junior, raised his hands in innocence; he meant no harm._

_- "I'm sorry, Layna—"_

_And there was the nickname he had taken to calling her. It belonged only for her husband's lips, yet he had insisted, in the man's absence, to utter it; like most things he had taken to doing, it made her uncomfortable. _

_- "Andreus—"_

_He corrected her._

_- "Alexei. You always call me Alexei."_

_She closed her eyes tightly as she attempted to control her temper._ _She felt his eyes ogling at her body as he had continuously done since his arrival. She felt the way, despite the size of the room, he would brush against her as he passed her. She heard the difference in the tone of his voice when he spoke to her alone, as opposed to in front of his brother. _

_- "Yes, but right now… right now, I'm upset with you. I don't appreciate what you've been doing."_

_He shook his head in confusion. He had treated her no different than he always had._

_- "I don't—"_

_She had treated him as her brother, but he wanted more… more than she could and was willing to give him._

_- "Stop it! You know very well what I'm speaking about! I am your brother's wife!"_

_Mikkos was fifteen years older than he, but five to her. He had watched his brother take over the business after their father had died. And from that point on, the man had focused his energy entirely on continuing on the great Cassadine Empire. He abandoned her. _

_- "I know that!"_

_She pressed on._

_- "Do you?"_

_Embarrassingly, he nodded._

_- "Yes! Yes, of course I do, Lay—Helena! But—"_

_She shook her head._

_- "No buts! I am your brother's wife. Now… get out." _

She awoke with a start; it was morning.

- "Get up!"

She did not bother putting on her robe as she crossed the room to the couch where her sister continued to sleep without a worry in the world. If only she could be so lucky to, in spite of the troubles that lay at her feet, sleep so peacefully and soundly.

- "I said, '_get up, _Evelyn! It's morning."

The younger woman grew agitated with Helena. She had not had a decent night's sleep in… in _years_, really; yet there she was interrupting her slumber for something that did not, since their father's death, and could not concern her.

- "I already told you that I'm not going with you on this wild goose hunt."

Being as her bags were already packed, Helena simply took the outfit that had remained hung on a hanger in the closet, and set it on the bed.

- "It is not a wild goose hunt, Evelyn. You know where they are, and where the girl lives."

Evelyn rolled her eyes.

- "Yes, I do—"

- "So?"

Clearly this woman was incapable of understanding the American legal system of which Evelyn's hand had played on more than one occasion.

- "So? Helena, you just posted bail yesterday! I can't live this damn State until my court date—"

Helena casually waved her hand.

- "I am not taking you out of the country, you tart. I need you to come with me to Connecticut."

- "WHY? I gave the kid to your—"

Seeing Helena gaze turn colder than normal her unintentional attempt to associate her with Alexis, Evelyn quickly corrected herself.

- "—to Alexis. I have nothing left to do with the kid—"

_- "I'm sorry, Layna."_

The older woman shook her head of the thoughts of the past; she had to think of her present. She had to focus on her son; her Stavvy.

-"You made a commitment—"

Evelyn immediately cut her off.

- "I made a deal for $3,000 a month to keep the kid; and I did! I kept her for five long years, whining and crying in my head. I dealt with her sh-t for much longer than I should've, Helena!"

Confused, Helena spoke over her.

- "What do you mean? She's not some kind of used toy—"

Evelyn grabbed her pack of cigarettes off the coffee table. She had spent, before Cristoff dropped Sam off at her doorstep five years earlier, a turbulent, yet peace-filled life away from these people who thought nothing of her. She had married a man who had promised her gold, had a child with him, and nobody cared. Yet, when there was nowhere to turn, to preserve whatever dignity the family supposedly had, to whom did they… her father… turn?

- "I did _not_ sign up for the long-haul! He told me… he told me you'd get over Steven's—"

Any false mention of her son, made Helena's blood boil.

- "My son's name _is_ STAVROS, you ignorant little _bitch!_."

Not caring about the woman's obvious fury, Evelyn decided to throw more fuel into the fire. She had no duty to this _sister_ of hers. She was not one of her servants or nannies subservient and catering to her every whim. She did not care about the woman's six years of mourning for some guy who was clearly a piece of sh-t, son of a b!tch. She was tired of the drama she did neither asked nor wanted. She had enough problems.

- "Was."

Helena however frowned at her comment.

- "Excuse me?"

Without skipping a beat, Evelyn continued.

- "Was, Helena. Your son is dea—"

Before she could allow her tongue to form the sound that would finalize the word that haunted her dreams and wake since her son's body was brought back to their home after he had been beaten so brutally, Helena smacked the woman hard across the face. She would not disrespect him.

- "Don't you _ever_ speak about my son!"

Unperturbed by the strike, Evelyn continued; she was at her wit's end. This woman expected her to risk her freedom, and for what? She did not even have the decency to let her know.

- "Please, Helena! Your son is _all_ that I've dealt with for all of these years! I've been stuck with the _last_ remnant of his good-for-nothing life—"

Helena balled her hands into fists.

- "That child is _NOT_ his—"

She disregarded the woman's statement as she continued.

- "—just in case you might want to lift what's more like your widow's veil, than your grieving mother's, to take her off of my hands. He was _so _sure his little Helly would want her son's spawn."

She screamed at the top of her lungs.

- "She is _NOT _his!"

Again, Evelyn ignored her.

- "And now that Cristoff _died_ and he left me with NOTHING… except that little runt, I'm DONE. I'm not getting stuck with that little bastard because you people don't want to look bad in the eyes of your high-class society!"

Helena glared at her sister as she shook her head; she did not understand anything.

- "I will not have that child—"

Evelyn once again pushed.

- "Your granddaughter."

- "Insolent trash—"

When the _proper_ woman attempted to once again strike her, Evelyn, shaking her head, caught her arm.

- "Oh, I don't think so. You used your one freebie for the day. Now, I don't know what the hell your problem is with a brat you've never met, but I don't really care; I'm not getting stuck with her. If she's happy with that little princess, what the hell difference does it mean to you? You don't give a damn about either of those b!tches anyway!"

Struggling to free her arm from the crass woman's grasp, Helena narrowed her eyes.

- "I would sooner have them die than to be associated with my family… and my son's _good_ name. They are _all _monsters."

Releasing her, Evelyn walked back to the couch. Her sister was quickly becoming undone.

- "Hmm… it takes one to know one, doesn't it."

Shaking from the anger that radiated within her, Helena walked over to the room's phone; she could not spend one second longer in that room. She had waited long enough.

- "This is Ms. Komensky; I request a car and a driver."

* * *

Holding his sister's duffle bags on his shoulders, Stefan opened the bedroom door to find his fath—uncle seated on the couch dressed as though he were departing.

- "Are you leaving, Mikkos?"

The older man however shook her head.

- "I wanted to tell you this when I arrived last night, but after everything—"

He looked over to Alexis and Sam who had pulled her sweatshirt hood over her head and instinctively buried her face into her mother's neck. He hated that he had scared and traumatized the girl so severely.

- "Alexis, I apologize."

Knowing what she knew, she nodded in acceptance.

- "I know you do; I forgive you."

He noticed in the doorway that Nikolas had since appeared; he leaned against the frame as he rubbed his beautiful brown eyes.

- "Good morning, Nikolas."

The boy, ignorant of the evening's events, smiled at the man.

- "Good morning, Grandfather. Did you sleep well?"

Mikkos nodded.

- "I did, thank you _very_ much for your hospitality. You were most gracious."

Stefan eyed the way the older man stared at the boy; he did not want any attachments to be formed. Once the man's business was settled, they would once again, resume their normal relationship.

- "I apologize, Mikkos, but what was it that you were saying?"

Mikkos raised his eyebrows to the man; he may not have made any effort to establish a relationship of any sort with him, but he was observant. Rather than comment, however, he looked from Stefan, to Alexis, and the back of the little girl's head, then back to the man.

- "Helena left Greece yesterday morning—"

Alexis released a knowing and audible gasp.

- "Why… why didn't you tell us, _sooner_?"

He had no excuse, so he did not answer.

- "I believe that she is somewhere close."

Stefan wanted to pummel the man with his fists, but it was neither the place nor the time; Helena was unstable. There was no telling what she might do.

- "What does she want? We've done nothing—"

Directing his response to Alexis, Mikkos nevertheless stared at Stefan, for it all began with _him._

- "Your daughter."

**

* * *

Please Review. What do you like? What don't you like? **


	26. Stavros

The muse had taken an extended vacation to focus on other stories that need finishing, This is a shorter chapter as it is a bridge to the next.

Please take a few moments to leave thoughts.

Unedited.

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Stavros**

- "Helena is in town?"

Despite Sam's slight discomfort with his close proximity to them, Stefan protectively wrapped his arm around Alexis, while holding onto Nikolas. The mere mention of his mother's name with regard to either his sister or his niece left him uneasy; Mikkos' presence around his family, on the other hand, rendered him unnerved. Given that his entire life was a lie, he did not trust the man as far as he could throw him. He needed to get his family to safety.

- "Why did you not tell us this sooner? We could have—"

Mikkos, however, interrupted him. He expected his nephew to chew him out for his negligence, but before he did such a thing, he needed him to first be well-informed.

- "Excuse me, Stefan. I do not know for certain that she is in town—"

Stefan was losing his patience; he needed to know where Helena was so that he could protect his family.

- "But you clearly do not know where she is! My God, Mikkos! That woman believes her precious son to walk on water, and now she's likely in town for his child?"

Alexis gasped.

- "My… daughter. She's… she's _mine_, Stefan."

He immediately regretted his words. He did not mean them as they had come out.

- "I apologize, darling. I'm just worried. What could she possibly want with Samantha? Since we left their home after Nikolas was born, you have not been a part of their _family_, so there's no reason for her to concern herself with Samantha. She does not even believe that bastard son of hers capable of harming a fly, let alone… "

He paused.

- "I just… I simply want to protect both you and my niece."

Her heart beat heavily in her chest. She felt all the moistness of her mouth dry. Helena, her daughter's grandmother, wanted her; she wanted Sam. The woman who smacked her around and called her every filthy name she could think to call a small child, was somewhere in the vicinity with one sole purpose in mind: to take the child who comprised of everything she hated.

- "There's… there's more."

He frowned. He could not protect her if secrets were being kept from him.

- "Alexis, if you know something, it's unwise for you to keep it from me."

In Helena's eyes, Sam's blood, more than Stefan's and certainly hers, was pure poison. Regardless of what she believed happened between Stavros and her, the facts were simple: her father and grandfather were rapists. Somewhere deep in the woman's fragile mind, she knew it to be true. And while she did not care about Andreus, the poisonous blood that ran through Sam's veins belonging to Stavros, was a stain on his memory; the one of the impeccable and stand-up citizen Helena had created in her mind. It was a stain created through an act of revenge… of love… for _her_. She too, would want to return the favor… to a dead man.

- "Ok… I'm… I'm… um… ok…"

Sam tightened her grip around her mother.

- "Mommy? Can we go home now?"

Stefan turned to look at his sister; she was as white as a ghost. He prayed that it was not a repeat of the previous night's events.

- "Alexis, are you… well? Do you… do you need a moment?"

Not getting a response from her, Sam looked up at the woman.

- "Mommy?"

The wheels in her mind continued to spin as to what her next move would be. She could not allow Helena to touch her daughter, but she certainly could not run for the rest of her life. The truth had caught up to them; it had nearly broken her, and it was on the verge of breaking him… when it fully sunk its teeth into him. She would not be held captive by it any longer. She could not. Not for herself and not for her daughter. But, she needed to be realistic.

- "I'm… fine. I just need… a minute—"

She stepped away from him so that she could speak quietly with her daughter. She moved as far away from the two men and young boy as the room had allowed, feeling with each step the girl's discomfort ease. She was anxious to return home.

- "Ok."

She stood in the corner of the room where Stefan and Mikkos could still see them, but it was far enough away that Sam would feel safe speaking with her. Kneeling, she put her daughter down.

- "Sam… baby? I need you to look at me. Look at Mommy."

She shook her head as she she kept her arms wrapped around Alexis' neck.

- "When are we going home? You said we could go when we woke _uuuup_! We're awake now! I wanna goooo… noooow!"

Alexis sighed; she hated what the situation was doing to her daughter. Nevertheless, she was the adult; she knew what was best for them. As difficult as it might have been for the six-year-old girl to understand, she would have to trust and listen to her.

- "Samantha, I want you to let me go for a little bit and look at me."

In a soft whisper, she sternly spoke to the terrified child.

- "Mommy needs you to listen to her."

Sniffling, Sam unwrapped her arms from her mother's neck and opened her eyes. Unfortunately, Mikkos stood in the same room as them; he was staring at her. She quickly closed her eyes and resumed her previous position nestled in her mother's embrace. She was frightened.

- "I don't want to see him, Mommy. He's scary."

Alexis quickly turned her head to notice that Mikkos had in fact been staring in their direction. Not wanting to yell at him for his thoughtlessness, she simply switched positions with Sam so that her back was facing him, while she looked only at her. She gently pulled her daughter away from her.

- "Okay, chipmunk. Open your eyes. Mommy wants you to look at her. You can't see him anymore; only Mommy."

Knowing her mother would not lie to her, Sam slowly did as she was told while still standing as close to her as she could.

- "Are we going home?"

Alexis wrapped her arm around Sam's waist.

- "Yes, baby. We're going home."

- "_Now_?"

She shook her head.

- "Not right this instant, baby—"

Tears immediately filled the child's eyes as she began what appeared to be a tantrum. She stomped her little foot on the floor as her tears quickly became sobs.

- "I wanna go! You promised! I don't wanna stay here anymore!"

Alexis gently patted Sam's bottom.

- "Hey, hey, hey. Samantha, calm down! I know you're upset, but you know Mommy doesn't like this type of behavior."

Sam grasped her necklace as she melted onto the floor. She hiccupped as she attempted to speak.

- "I'm… sorry, Mooo-ooommy!"

Sitting down on the floor, Alexis pulled her into her arms. She wiped the tears from the girl's face.

- "Chipmunk, we're going home today. I just need to first speak with Uncle Stefan and his… _daddy_. And then we're leaving."

- "You… you… promise?"

She wiped more tears from her daughter's cheeks before covering her face with kisses.

- "I promise. Now, can you do Mommy a big favor?"

Sam shrugged.

- "Can you stay here while—"

Her mother wanted to leave her again. After everything that had happened, she was trying to leave her.

- "Noooo!"

She shifted herself in the woman's arms as she hid her face as she grasped her sweatshirt. She spoke through muffled cries.

- "He's gonna take me away! Mommy, I don't want—"

If she did not get the girl to calm, Alexis feared that her daughter would have yet another accident which would undoubtedly cause a worse meltdown than she was currently exhibiting. She rubbed her back.

- "Baby, look at me."

Sam did as she was told.

- "I don't want—"

She put her finger to her daughter's lips.

- "You'll see me the entire time. I will not allow him to come anywhere near you. Okay?"

Sam nodded.

- "You promise?"

Alexis smiled as she pointed to the young boy who, while he stood closely to Stefan, was clearly unafraid of Mikkos.

- "Look at Nikolas."

Regardless of how upset Sam had been, Nikolas was still her friend. He was a child; he was trustworthy.

- "He's fine, chipmunk. If I ask him to stand here with you, do you think you can let Mommy talk to Uncle Stefan and his daddy for just a few minutes?"

She sniffled as she leaned her head against her mother's chest. She stuck her thumb in her mouth.

- "Not too long?"

Removing her thumb, Alexis kissed her on the cheek.

- "No baby. Just a few minutes and then we're going home. I promise you that. Okay?"

Sam slowly nodded.

- "That's my good girl."

* * *

She stood in the elevator feeling as it slowly descended. She never liked those things. She hated the confining space. The way she could not breathe fully and normally. It felt like a coffin slowly lowered into the ground.

_**Flashback**_

_She could not see him, but she memorized every piece of the last time she had seen him. He was dressed in the most luxurious black pin-stripped suit she could find. His cufflinks were platinum gold, bearing both the Cassadine and Komensky family seals. It was a merged design she had herself created specifically for him. He deserved only the best for he was the best._

_- "Stavros was a complicated man. He was—"_

_He was handsome. Even as he lied there in his coffin, he was the most handsome man on whom she had ever laid eyes. _

_- "He was husband, brother—"_

_He was her beloved son. He was perfect. He loved her entirely and without question. He was loyal and generous. He loved her more than he should ever had had to love her. He loved her enough to compensate for that her which her husband failed to provide._

_- "His mother once called him the greatest gift she had ever received. She named him—"_

_Stavros. His birth had brought her to a dark place from which she did not think she could ever escape. She saw only the tiny space his twin, her Sofia, had occupied; she shut herself within those confines. She nearly suffocated from the grief of losing her precious child, but her Stavros pulled through._

_- "He brought her back. He filled her lungs with air. He put a smile to her lips and laughter in her voice. He—"_

_He was her everything. He was her everything. And now he was…_

_- "Gone from this world too soon. Taken from the ones who loved him—"_

_They did not love him. They came to her son's funeral only from obligation. They were there because Mikkos did not want the Cassadines to appear cold, deserting, and unloving in their time of grief. He wanted to ensure that the Cassadine name remained pure and powerful. Her feelings be damned. _

_- "They mourn such a life—"_

_It was not about her._

_- "They miss such a presence."_

_It was not about her son._

_- "But he will live on forever in their hearts."_

_She looked at the two monsters who sat dry-eyed at the end of the pew. They did not care. Inside their pathetic bodies, they rejoiced at her pain and laughed as they thought of his last moments of suffering. They did not belong. They were interlopers on her grief._

_- "YOU MAKE ME SICK!"_

_Something had come over her. She could no longer keep her mouth shut. They should have been in that coffin instead of her son._

_- "Why are you here? Huh?"_

_Despite the hands that willed her to sit, her feet compelled her to stand._

_- "You—"_

_She pointed to Andreus' daughter, the constant reminder that the man had once existed on the earth, the bottomfeeding whore who dared to sully Stavros' name with some wretch bastard child that had grown in her poisonous stomach. She hated the teen with every fiber of her being. Innocent or not, she hated her simply because she existed while her son had already begun to rot._

_- "You were never wanted! You came into my home like the pathetic piece of garbage that you are, causing trouble left and right, acting as though you were entitle to anything. You should be there! You should be in there instead of my son!"_

_At her exclamation, the church grew deathly quiet. The mourning mother had crossed a line. The girl, unknown to most, was a child._

_- "Layna—"_

_Mikkos stood behind his wife. He grabbed her arms in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but she furiously pushed him from her. _

_- "Don't you DARE touch me! You lost that right when you left me to be—"_

_She could not say the word. She could not admit to what happened to her. And still, she turned her attention to the second born and unwanted son. He was a constant reminder that it had occurred. The mere mention of his name was admission of what had been done to her. _

_- "MONSTER! You… you shouldn't even exist! I wished you dead the moment I learned that you poisoned my body! You—"_

_Hearing the collective gasp of the congregation, Cristoff immediately pushed Mikkos away from his daughter. Now that Stavros was gone, he was all that remained. Only he loved her entirely; for her good and bad, faults and otherwise, she was his everything._

_- "Helly, please. You must stop this."_

_And feeling his arms around her, she did just that. _

_- "Papa."_

_She could not waste her energy on filth. Her son deserved better than this. He deserved more than a room of onlookers and spectators. He deserved only her love._

_- "I want them gone. Everybody. Now. GET OUT!"_

_She walked to the coffin._

_- "Open it."_

_Despite the noise of the departing attendees, her father heard her whispered demand. He released her long enough to lift the casket's lid. He dared not look at the man he had viewed so differently since he had learned of his deplorable actions. Instead, he looked at his daughter._

_- "Go ahead, darling."_

_And she began to pour her heart out to her son, she never noticed the woman continuing to stand quietly in the corner of the room. She had never left. Having previously sat to Helena's left as the priest spoke such loving words about her husband, Mariska, with her hand over belly, shook in disgust. The man eulogized was not the man she had known and been forced to marry_.

**End of Flashback**

But unlike the coffin's captor, the doors to the elevator opened and released her from her prison. If only…

* * *

Alexis made the girl stand before waving Nikolas over to them. He immediately left his father's side to approach her.

- "Yes, Aunt Alexis?"

Hearing the boy refer to her as such, she looked over to Stefan; despite his continued heartbreak, he nevertheless winked. Mouthing the words '_I love you'_ to the man, she pulled his son into her arms.

- "God, I love you Nik; you know that?"

He blushed at her sudden show of affection toward him, but remained in her arms.

- "I love you, too."

She stared at him for a moment before continuing. She did not know how much time they had, but she knew she wanted to get her daughter home.

- "Can you stay here with Sam for a few minutes while I speak with your father and grandfather? Can you do me that favor?"

He looked at his cousin. Despite being a nearly year older than he, she appeared far younger. She sucked her thumb as she clung to her mother. He hoped that she would not go into a fit of tears while Alexis stepped away; he did not know how to handle that. Plus, his coloring books were nowhere in the vicinity to distract her. He would only have to hope all would be well.

- "Well, alright…"

Alexis messed up the boys hair a bit before once again covering her daughter's face with kisses.

- "I'll be right back, okay?"

While tears rolled down the girl's cheeks, she released her mother before taking a seat behind the armchair; she wanted to remain shielded from Mikkos' view. Alexis kissed her on top of her head.

- "It's just a little while. Mommy will be right back. I love you, chipmunk."

She then approached the two men who had been awaiting her return. Before allowing them to speak, she put her hand up; she had a few things to say. She would dictate what was best for her and for her daughter.

- "We're going home—"

Stefan attempted to speak, but Alexis shook her head.

- "Stefan, I understand that you might not agree, but Sam can't stay here. After witnessing what she did last night, she needs to go home. I need to put her first."

Mikkos knew his opinion was perhaps not wanted, but he could not allow his niece to make such a foolish decision. His wife was unstable and capable of anything… especially when it involved Stavros and his memory.

- "You will only be putting her in harm's way—"

And while he hated to agree with the man, Stefan could not deny the truth.

- "Alexis, she tried to kill me when I confronted her about what Stavros had done to you; what do you think she'll do to you when she finds you?

She shook her head.

- "She won't hurt me."

He stared at her, searching deep in her eyes for some semblance of logic. She was holding back from him; he wanted to know why. Why would she take a risk with not only her life, but her daughter's? Why would she expect him to sit idly by and allow it? She knew something.

- "And Samantha?"

She looked up at him; the resemblance to her father… to her… was uncanny. She finally understood entirely why despite the pedestal on which she had placed him, Helena viewed him differently. It was the same reason why Stavros attempted to make her turn from Sam; but she could not. In spite of their similar features, Sam was no more Stavros, than Stefan was Andreus. Both children, the products of such horrific acts, _were _innocent… and better than their fathers could ever have been.

- "I will… we will… we'll protect her, Stefan. But, I can't keep hurting her—"

- "You're not, Alexis."

She nodded.

- "For every tear that child cries for fear that I'll fall apart again, I'm hurting her. The fact that being away from me for even a second is debilitating is me hurting her because I can't give her what she needs."

Stefan shook his head in disagreement. She was the best thing that had ever happened to Samantha. In no way was she harming her daughter… unless…

- "If you take her home, _then_ you will be hurting her. Neither you nor she are safe—"

She stopped him from continuing. She would not break her word.

- "I can protect her. You have to believe that."

He did not understand her, but he knew that she would always put her daughter ahead of her own life.

- "I do."

And because she knew that Helena was capable of love, at least when it pertained to Stavros, she knew the woman would not harm her daughter.

- "So… trust me."

For Sam, as Stavros continuously reminded her, was him.

* * *

- "Good Morning, Mrs. Komensky."

She ignored him as she walked toward the car whose door he held opened by her. She was in no mood for pleasantries from the hired help.

- "We should be arriving in approximately two hours, Miss."

She simply nodded to the man before stepping inside. She did not know what she would once she saw them again… and saw _her_ for the very first time. She just knew that she could not allow them to continue to sully her son's memory. He had protected her in a way her own husband had failed to do; she had to do the same.

- "Oh, My Stavros."

And in her lost thoughts, she had failed to realize that she was not alone in the car. She failed to realize that he had been watching her from the moment that she had entered it. He had waited for her to realize that he had been there, waiting for her. But staring out of the window, she did not.

Seeing a tear roll down her cheek, he sympathetically smiled at her. He reached for his gray silk handkerchief. He leaned forward and laid his hand onto her knee while extending the cloth to her. He felt her jump to his touch.

- "Hello Mother."

With a gasp to her lips, she stared at the man in shock.

- _"Stavros?"_


End file.
